Sack Aide Not Just Reprimand Rafizi Urges Pm

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Former minister Rafizi Ramli has criticised Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for merely reprimanding his senior political secretary, Shamsul Iskandar Akin, for issuing a support letter, saying it undermines the government’s anti-graft stance.
Responding to Anwar’s recent explanation in Parliament, Rafizi said Shamsul should have been sacked instead of being let off with a warning.
“If you just issue a stern warning while the person stays in the position, people won’t take it seriously.
“So, don’t blame the rakyat if they become cynical about your anti-corruption slogans,” he said in a TikTok video today.
Yesterday, Anwar told Dewan Rakyat that he had reprimanded one of his political secretaries for issuing a support letter to six contractors for a hospital project in Muar last year.
The letter, dated May 6, 2024, was addressed to an aide to Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The letter was first leaked on social media last year and was later confirmed by Dzulkefly in Parliament.
‘People want results’
Meanwhile, Rafizi said the administration should have used the incident to reaffirm its stance against corruption, especially when it involves the premier’s office.
The Pandan MP claimed this was not the first time concerns had been raised about Shamsul, adding that he had personally discussed similar complaints with Anwar in the past and the prime minister had agreed the issues were valid.
As the coalition government approaches its third year in power, Rafizi stressed that the public now expects concrete outcomes from its anti-graft agenda, not just speeches.
“When we were in the opposition, people understood that we had no authority.
“Now we are the government, we cannot fault the public if they have high expectations (to eradicate corruption),” the former PKR deputy president added.
Rafizi also highlighted a disconnect between high-profile anti-corruption arrests and the number of cases that result in charges or convictions.
Based on government data, he said that while investigations and arrests have increased since 2020, prosecution rates have declined.
In 2020, 480 individuals were charged with corruption offences. By 2024, that number had fallen to 454, with the charge rate dropping from 56 percent to 39 percent.
Convictions have also decreased, from 300 cases in 2021 to 256 cases in 2024.
‘Refer aide to MACC’
According to Rafizi, these figures highlight a widening gap between the government’s anti-graft rhetoric and the outcomes that the public actually observes.
Rafizi then urged Anwar to refer Shamsul to the MACC to determine whether any benefit or inducement was involved in the issuance of the support letter, rather than closing the matter with an internal warning.
“Otherwise, no matter how you talk, people won’t take it seriously.
“In the end, people will say you are all talk in public, but do not take action behind the scenes,” he said. - Mkini

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