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August 2017

Rafizi still an MP for now, says lawyer

August 23, 2017

Lawyer Gobind Singh says until Rafizi Ramli exhausts all avenues in appealing his conviction under the OSA for revealing the 1MDB audit report, he will remain Pandan MP.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli will not have to give up his seat for now, despite facing an 18-month jail sentence for leaking the 1MDB audit report, which had been classified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

He will only be forced to vacate his seat if his final appeal at the Court of Appeal against the conviction for revealing the contents of the report in a press conference at the Parliament building last year, is dismissed.

Lawyer Gobind Singh said that for now Rafizi will remain an MP.

The law states that one needs to go through the entire appeal process before any change is made to the status of an MP,” Gobind told reporters at the High Court here.

Article 48 of the Federal Constitution disqualifies a person from being an MP for five years should the elected representative be convicted and sentenced to more than 12 months in jail, or fined more than RM2,000.

Gobind was responding to a question on Rafizi’s status as an MP after the High Court’s decision to uphold a lower court conviction and 18-month jail sentence on the PKR vice-president.

The High Court had earlier dismissed Rafizi’s appeal on his conviction for the charge under Section 8(1)(c)(iv) of the OSA for leaking page 98 of the 1MDB audit report in March last year.

However, Justice Azman Abdullah, who is hearing Rafizi’s appeal, allowed his appeal against the conviction for another charge under Section 8(1)(c)(iii) for possessing the page in question.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2017/08/23/rafizi-still-an-mp-for-now-says-lawyer/

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9 April 2016

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Rafizi Ramli, “I sympathise with the police officers charged with handling me…If they cuff me, opposition supporters will get angry at them. If they don’t cuff me, there’s a big possibility that they’ll have to answer to the police’s top brass to explain why they didn’t handcuff me.”

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Malay Mail Online ‏@themmailonline 7h7 hours ago

Rafizi says told to put hands behind back, but wasn’t cuffed

KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — PKR’s Rafizi Ramli said today that he was not handcuffed but the police had instructed him to put his hands behind his back, amid criticism of how the lawmaker was treated in his arrest under a secrecy law.

According to the Pandan MP, officers from the police’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department had told him that he would be required to put his hands behind his back and be held by accompanying police officers when they would escort him to the Putrajaya Magistrate Court Wednesday.

Rafizi said that in a discussion with his lawyer and the police, he had said it would be better for him to be cuffed to avoid getting the officers escorting him into trouble with the top brass, but eventually, they all decided on having him put his hands behind his back without being cuffed.

“I sympathise with the police officers charged with handling me all this while because they’re conflicted when each of their actions invites criticism, damn if they do, damn if they don’t,” Rafizi said in a statement.

“If they cuff me, opposition supporters will get angry at them. If they don’t cuff me, there’s a big possibility that they’ll have to answer to the police’s top brass to explain why they didn’t handcuff me.

“Finally, they tried to find the best solution by ordering me to put my hands behind my back while holding me, which in their opinion, was the fairest method to all,” the PKR secretary-general added.

– See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/rafizi-says-told-to-put-hands-behind-back-but-wasnt-cuffed?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.rARB6lH0.dpuf

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‏@Reaproy

#Malaysia prosecuting #RafiziRamli = “another nail in the coffin of government transparency & accountability” @hrw https://plus.google.com/117288277289466139415/posts/7VffRUaYoYW …

Phil Robertson

Shared publicly – Yesterday 12:50 PM

Statement attributable to Phil Robertson, Deputy Director of the Asia Division, Human Rights Watch on the charging of MP Rafizi Ramli under OSA and criminal defamation charges

“It’s shocking that the Malaysia government is prosecuting Rafizi Ramli for revealing a page of this year’s Auditor General’s report, which contains information on government performance that should be made publicly available and debated in Parliament rather than locked away under the Official Secrets Act. By criminalizing Rafizi’s act, the Malaysia government is putting another nail in the coffin of government transparency and accountability, and clearly violating his Rafizi’s rights. Malaysia needs to revise the Official Secrets Act to bring in into compliance with international human rights standards, and cease using this law to intimidate and persecute those demanding the government take responsibility for its actions.”

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8 April

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‏@KerajaanRakyat2

Kertas pertuduhan ke atas #RafiziRamli .. Akta Rahsia Rasmi utk melindungi agenda jahat kerajaan #Umno #BN

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Aliran ‏@aliranmalaysia 2h2 hours ago

HRW: Rafizi Ramli‘s OSA prosecution shocking – http://aliran.com/civil-society-voices/2016-civil-society-voices/hrw-rafizi-ramlis-detention-shocking/ …

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Retweeted 26 times

‏@501Awani

#AWANInews Rafizi Ramli charged with possession, exposing confidential 1MDB document, defaming TH

Pandan member of parliament Mohd Rafizi Ramli claimed trial in the Sessions Court today to two charges of illegal possession and exposing an official document.

The document allegedly pertained to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)’s Audit Report.

He also claimed trial in the Magistrate’s Court to a charge of defaming Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH).

Mohd Rafizi, 39, who is also PKR vice president and secretary-general is accused of possession of page 98 of the 1MDB audit report at the Parliament Building lobby in Jalan Parlimen here at 3 pm on March 24.

He is accused on the second charge of exposing the contents of the 1MDB audit report in a media conference at the same place and time on March 28.

The charges under Section 8(1)(c)(iii) and 8(1)(c)(iv) respectively, of the Official Secrets Act 1972, carry a jail term of up to seven years each, on conviction.

http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/rafizi-ramli-charged-possession-exposing-confidential-1mdb-document-defaming-th-101637

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‏@SumishaCNA

.@rafiziramli posts bail. Someone takes a selfie with him in the background as he does http://www.channelnewsasia.com/mobile/asiapacific/malaysian-opposition-mp/2676698.html … #1MDB

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‏@NST_Online

Pandan MP @RafiziRamli charged today under Section 8 of Official Secrets Act & criminal defamation, respectively

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‏@syahredzan

On @rafiziramli ‘handcuffs’, from his lawyer. And Rafizi himself never said he was handcuffed anyway.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86pNlRpxAGk

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Malaysian Digest ‏@malaysiandigest 17h17 hours ago Petaling Jaya, Selangor

[Video] Rafizi ‘Berlakon’ Digari Adalah Prosedur Biasa http://ow.ly/10qLdd #RafiziRamli

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malaysiakini.com ‏@malaysiakini

Cops to record statement on MPs’ march to Bukit Aman

Bernama

Police will call the organisers and individuals, including several opposition members of Parliament to record their statements regarding the submission of a memorandum to Bukit Aman yesterday.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Amar Singh Ishar Singh said the matter clearly did not comply with the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012.

“Police will investigate the matter …they have violated the PAA 2012 for not submitting a notice 10 days before the rally and to also hold a protest march,” he told reporters after a blood donation campaign and ceremony to celebrate the promotion of junior officers and the launch of the Public Sector Conducive Ecosystem, in Kuala Lumpur today.

Nearly 70 members of the parliamentary opposition marched from the Parliament to Bukit Aman before arriving at the Bukit Aman entrance at 9am to submit a memorandum to the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/336989

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOKucyxsrRM