Mohd Rafizi bin Ramli (
Jawi: ; born 14 September 1977) is a
Malaysian
Malaysian may refer to:
* Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia
* Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia
* Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
who has served as the
Minister of Economy
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
in the
Pakatan Harapan
The Alliance of Hope ( ms, Pakatan Harapan; abbrev: PH; stylized as HARAPAN) is a Malaysian political coalition consisting of centre-left political parties which was formed in 2015 to succeed the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. It has been the r ...
(PH) administration under Prime Minister
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
since December 2022 and the
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for
Pandan from May 2013 to May 2018 and again since November 2022. He is a member of the
People's Justice Party
The People's Justice Party ( ms, Parti Keadilan Rakyat , often known simply as KEADILAN or PKR) is a reformist political party in Malaysia, formed in 2003 by a merger of the National Justice Party and the older Malaysian People's Party. The ...
(PKR), a component party of presently the PH and formerly the
Pakatan Rakyat
The People's Alliance ( ms, Pakatan Rakyat; abbrev: PR) was an informal Malaysian political coalition and successor to Barisan Alternatif (BA). The political coalition was formed by the People's Justice Party (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP ...
(PR) coalitions. He has also served as the 5th Deputy President of PKR since July 2022. He served as Vice-President of PKR from August 2014 to July 2022, Secretary-General of PKR from October 2014 to November 2016 and Strategic Director of PKR from December 2010 to October 2014. He is the founder of both the
whistleblower
A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whi ...
organisation,
National Oversight and Whistleblowers Centre (NOW) and the election volunteerism organisation,
Invoke Malaysia (INVOKE).
Early life and education
Rafizi was born in Besut, Terengganu and was raised in Kemaman, an east-coast town. He came from a humble background; his father was a rubber tapper. During his schooling days he was active in extra-curricular activities where he represented
Malay College Kuala Kangsar
The Malay College Kuala Kangsar (abbreviated MCKK; ; ) is a premier boarding school, residential school in Malaysia. It is an elite all-boys and all-Malay people, Malay school in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Perak. It is sometimes dubbed "the ...
(MCKK) for debate championships as well as being a top student. After finishing his secondary education, he was awarded a scholarship to study
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
at
University of Leeds
, mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased
, established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds
, ...
.
Rafizi has been active in politics since his university days. When
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
was sacked as the deputy prime minister of
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
in 1998 he became more involved politics and had joined in the
Reformasi movement. He dedicates his involvement in politics to Adlan, his close friend who had become his inspiration.
Early career
After graduating from college, Rafizi worked for an accounting firm in the United Kingdom and at, the same time, studied for professional papers and qualified as a chartered accountant under
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) is a professional membership organisation that promotes, develops and supports chartered accountants and students around the world. As of July 2022, it has over 198,000 members ...
(ICAEW). Upon returning to Malaysia in 2003, Rafizi worked for the Malaysian oil company,
Petronas
Petroliam Nasional Berhad (National Petroleum Limited), commonly known as Petronas, is a Malaysian oil and gas company. Established in 1974 and wholly owned by the Government of Malaysia, the corporation is vested with all oil and gas reso ...
from 2003 to 2009. During his tenure at Petronas, he held many important portfolios including managing Petronas' petrochemical assets. In 2009, he became the general manager of the health care company
Pharmaniaga, before being appointed as the Chief Executive of the Selangor Economic Advisory Office, a position he held until July 2012.
Political career
Rafizi was elected to Parliament in the
2013 general election. PKR selected him to contest the seat of
Pandan, which was held by former
Malaysian Chinese Association
The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA; zh, 马来西亚华人公会; ; ta, மலேசிய சீனர் சங்கம், initially known as the Malayan Chinese Association) is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that seeks to ...
(MCA) president
Ong Tee Keat
Ong Tee Keat (; born 22 November 1956) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian politician who served as the Minister of Transport (Malaysia), Minister of Transport in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahma ...
. Ong was dropped for the election by
Barisan Nasional
The National Front ( ms, Barisan Nasional; abbrev: BN) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1973 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties. It is also the third largest political coalition with 30 se ...
, though he remained popular among voters. The decision to do so was exploited by Rafizi, who repeatedly praised Ong on the campaign trail. Rafizi won the seat by a margin of 26,729 votes, more than twice the number received by the MCA candidate.
Rafizi did not contest the
2018 general election as his eligibility to stand as a candidate was put in doubt due to his pending appeal against a 30-month jail sentence for leaking banking details belonging to the
National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) and its chairman. The Pandan seat was instead contested and won by then-President of PKR
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: وان عزيزة بنت وان إسماعيل; born 3 December 1952) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian politician who is the spouse of Anwar Ibrahim, the current Prime Minister of Malaysia. Sh ...
.
Kajang Move
Rafizi is a close ally of the PKR's parliamentary leader
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
. In 2014, Rafizi engineered the failed
Kajang Move
The "Kajang Move" ( ms, Langkah Kajang, also known as Selangor's political crisis, Selangor's MB crisis or Khalid Move) was a political manoeuvre attempted in Malaysia in 2014. The manoeuvre sought to topple the 14th Menteri Besar of Selangor, T ...
, which sought to oust
Khalid Ibrahim
Abdul Khalid bin Ibrahim ( ms, عبدالخالد بن إبراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 14 December 1946 – 31 July 2022) was a Malaysian politician who served as the 14th Menteri Besar of Selangor from 2008 to 2014. He ...
, a PKR member, as
Chief Minister of Selangor and install Anwar as his replacement. The move encountered a number of obstacles; it ultimately succeeded in forcing Khalid's resignation, but
Azmin Ali
Mohamed Azmin bin Ali ( Jawi: محمد عزمين بن علي; born 25 August 1964) is a Malaysian politician who served as Senior Minister of the Economic Cluster and as Minister of International Trade and Industry from 2020 to 2022. A memb ...
, PKR's deputy president, replaced him instead.
In October 2014, after the Kajang Move reached its conclusion, Rafizi was appointed as secretary-general of PKR, replacing
Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail ( Jawi: سيف الدين ناسوتيون بن اسماعيل; born 7 December 1963) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the Minister of Home Affairs in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administratio ...
as the leading administrative officer of the party. Rafizi's appointment came two months after his election as one of the party's four vice-presidents. The party's constitution permitted him to hold both his appointed and elected positions.
Opposition
Rafizi Ramli has been a staunch critic of the
Barisan Nasional
The National Front ( ms, Barisan Nasional; abbrev: BN) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1973 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties. It is also the third largest political coalition with 30 se ...
(BN) led government. He has revealed many leakages in the government, including corruption and mismanagement. Among his infamous revelation for BN wrong doings was the
National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal which involved the Women, Family and Community Development Minister,
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
Shahrizat binti Abdul Jalil ( Jawi: شهرزاد بنت عبدالجليل; born 15 August 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served in the Cabinet of Malaysia as Minister of Women, Family and Community Development from 2009 to 2012. She was th ...
. Shahrizat and her family were accused of misusing RM250 million in public funds meant for a state cattle ranch in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan. She's, however, were cleared out from this case by
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission ( ms, Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia), abbreviated MACC or ''SPRM'', (formerly known as Anti-Corruption Agency, ACA or ''Badan Pencegah Rasuah'', ''BPR'') is a government agency in Malaysia that ...
(MACC). He has also revealed malpractices and wastages in the government which includes awarding of over-priced closed tender projects and purchasing of overpriced assets.
Pakatan Rakyat
The People's Alliance ( ms, Pakatan Rakyat; abbrev: PR) was an informal Malaysian political coalition and successor to Barisan Alternatif (BA). The political coalition was formed by the People's Justice Party (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP ...
state government officials also have their part with the revelation of 14th Menteri Besar of Selangor,
Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim out of court settlement with
Bank Islam
Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (Jawi script, Jawi: بڠك اسلام مليسيا برحد) is an Islamic bank based in Malaysia that has been in operation since July 1983. Bank Islam was established primarily to assist the financial needs of the c ...
over the RM66.67mil Kumpulan
Guthrie Bhd shares when Khalid was the group’s chief executive officer. His revelation, which liquified Khalid Ibrahim's integrity were a part which culminated the
Kajang Move
The "Kajang Move" ( ms, Langkah Kajang, also known as Selangor's political crisis, Selangor's MB crisis or Khalid Move) was a political manoeuvre attempted in Malaysia in 2014. The manoeuvre sought to topple the 14th Menteri Besar of Selangor, T ...
.
Rafizi Ramli is an advocate for lower petrol prices. He criticised the government's move in 2014 to end petrol subsidies, arguing that it would benefit oil companies and petrol station owners but not the Malaysian people. He had prominently threaten to lead a street protest on 2015 New Year's Eve if the government did not lower the oil prices, following the fall of oil prices worldwide. He had also advocated for changes to the way petrol prices are fixed by the government, to protect petrol station owners from the deleterious impacts of fluctuating prices.
His action for defending petrol station owners have attracted criticism from netizens and
Utusan Malaysia
''Utusan Malaysia'' ( Jawi: اوتوسن مليسيا; English: ''The Malaysian Tribune'' or simply ''Utusan'') is a Malaysian Malay-language daily newspaper. Formerly owned by the Utusan Group, the newspaper is currently owned by Media Mulia.
...
for abandoning people's interest.
Rafizi was not able to run for
reelection in 2018 because he was appealing a 30-month jail sentence from the Shah Alam sessions court for leaking banking details about the National Feedlot Corp and its chairman Salleh Ismail.
Return to active politics
On 15 March 2022, he announced his return to active politics, as well as his intention to run in the
2022 PKR party elections from April to July 2022 for the PKR deputy presidency, which was left vacant after
Mohamed Azmin Ali
Mohamed Azmin bin Ali ( Jawi: محمد عزمين بن علي; born 25 August 1964) is a Malaysian politician who served as Senior Minister of the Economic Cluster and as Minister of International Trade and Industry from 2020 to 2022. A memb ...
left the party in February 2020. He noted that the future of progressive, multiracial politics would be in danger if PKR and PH carry on to be only the “third power” which fails to attract undecided voters. His supporters were demanding for him to return to active politics, and he was quoted as saying that he was considering several factors before making a decision. However, PKR leaders appeared divided about his return, with some, such as Selangor PKR deputy communications director Zainol Abidin Mohamed, criticising his decision to leave politics. Others, such as Kota Anggerik assemblyman Najwan Halimi, said he would welcome his return because he would be able to help strengthen the party. He was an opponent of Azmin in the last party elections in November 2018 for the PKR deputy president position and was defeated by Azmin.
At night of 29 May 2022, Saifuddin conceded defeat and congratulated Rafizi on his landslide victory against him in the contest for PKR deputy presidency in the elections although the results were still unofficial. He was the Deputy President-elect of PKR following his pending victory in the
2022 PKR leadership election. He was set to officially assume the position on the final day of the PKR National Congress on 17 July 2022. He did so after being officially named as PKR deputy president and official results being announced by the PKR election committee (JPP).
Controversies
Lawsuits
He was charged for exposing confidential
Public Bank
A public bank is a bank, a financial institution, in which a state, municipality, or public actors are the owners. It is an enterprise under government control. 's customer document in his pursuit of exposing the
NFC scandal. Rafizi was charged in August 2012 under Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia) 1989 for revealing four Public Bank customer-profile documents on the balance summaries of the NFC, National Meat and Livestock Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd and NFC chairman, Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail.
Rafizi was allegedly disclosed the documents to media consultant Yusuf Abdul Alim and to
The Star
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
reporter Erle Martin Carvalho, at the
PKR headquarters in
Petaling Jaya
)
, website =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = ''From top, left to right:Skyline of Petaling Jaya, the 1 Utama Mall integrated with Bandar Utama Station, the Kota Darul Ehsan arch, the Petaling J ...
on 7 March 2012. Bank clerk Johari Mohamad, 44, is also accused of conspiring with Rafizi. His effort to strike out the charges were rejected by High Court on 23 November 2012, by Appeals Court on 23 May 2013 and finally, by Federal Court on 6 April 2015. His trial will begin 27 April 2015. On 7 February 2018 Rafizi was sentenced by a Sessions Court in Shah Alam to 30 months in jail for exposing confidential banking details relating to the NFC scandal. The conviction was however overturned by the High Court on 15 November 2019 and he was fully discharged from the earlier jail sentence.
On 8 April 2016, Rafizi pleaded not guilty to the charge of publishing libellous statement against
Tabung Haji
Lembaga Tabung Haji ( Jawi: تابوڠ حاج ; Arabic صندوق الحج) also known as Tabung Haji or TH is the Malaysian hajj pilgrims fund board.(18 July 1990)Tunnel tragedy death toll may reach 155, says Yusof '' New Straits Times'' It was ...
(TH) through the posting of an article with the heading '’Analisa Kewangan Tabung Haji 2009-2015” in his blog www.rafiziramli.com. On 27 February 2019 the Kuala Luampur Magistrate’s Court acquitted and discharged him on defaming TH.
In August 2017, a Malaysian High Court in Kuala Lumpur upheld an 18-month jail sentence against him for having page 98 of the
1MDB audit report without approval, in violation of the Official Secrets Act 1972. The conviction and 18-month jail sentence had prevented Rafizi from contesting in the
GE14.
On 1 June 2018 after the GE14, Rafizi however was released on good behaviour bond of RM10,000 bound over for two years in one surety over the OSA conviction by the Court of Appeal.
On 16 November 2019, Rafizi Ramli succeeded in his appeal in the case involving NFC, National Meat and Livestock Sdn Bhd, Agroscience Industries Sdn Bhd and NFC chairman, Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail.
Judge involved in this appeal was Judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa. Mohd Yazid, in his ruling, said exhibit P4 and attachments A to D were photostated documents that failed to meet requirements under Section 65(1)(c) of the Evidence Act 1950, and therefore inadmissible. Also discharged and acquitted from the same charge was bank clerk Johari Mohamad.
Election results
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramli, Rafizi
1977 births
Living people
People from Terengganu
Malaysian people of Malay descent
Malaysian Muslims
Malaysian activists
Malaysian accountants
Malaysian politicians convicted of crimes
People's Justice Party (Malaysia) politicians
Members of the Dewan Rakyat
Alumni of the University of Leeds
Whistleblowing in Malaysia
21st-century Malaysian politicians