PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli today questioned Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) integrity after its chairman Muhyiddin Yassin last night claimed that the coalition has better track record than Pakatan Harapan in terms of ethics.

Rafizi reminded Muhyiddin that despite his chest-beating that PN has a clean track record, his party Bersatu has yet to respond on several scandals involving its minister especially on the littoral combat ship (LCS) issue.

“PN leaders are linked to multi-million ringgit scandals. Until today Muhyiddin and PN have yet to deny the involvement of their ministers in the scandals, such as the one involving Abdul Latiff Ahmad, a former Bersatu minister whose name was mentioned in a forensic audit report on the delay of the LCS project.

“Alizes Marine Ltd, a fake company named in the report, had allegedly swindled more than RM200 million on the navy project and the company is linked to Latiff.

“Bersatu has yet to address this issue or make any statements denying the scandal. Latiff on the other hand has yet to sue me for revealing his name. What he did was to lodge a police report,” said Rafizi.

The LCS project has been in the news following findings of mismanagement by the Public Accounts Committee and the Governance, Procurement and Finance Investigation Committee. 

None of the vessels has yet to be delivered to the Malaysian navy. 

Speaking further, Rafizi said he will soon divulge another scandal involving a former Bersatu deputy minister.

Rafizi said this time the scandal, which also involves the Defence Ministry, is linked to its former deputy minister Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz.

“Ikmal is linked to the procurement of self-propelled Howitzer.

“Until today, Muhyiddin and his PN component party have not succeeded in rebutting the evidence.”

“For this very reason, Muhyiddin and PN are the last group that can brag that they are clean. While we in PKR have taken a bold step in declaring our assets, none from Bersatu dares to declare theirs,” said Rafizi.

Last night, during PN’s manifesto launch, Muhyiddin took a potshot at PH as well as Barisan Nasional saying that the benchmark set by PN on matters of integrity was higher than that of its rivals.

“This is why those who are facing corruption charges are contesting in the general election,” he said.

He did not name the individuals but it is believed he was referring to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and DAP’s Lim Guan Eng.

“But that is their problem, not ours,” he said in jest.

Muhyiddin said voters will be able to differentiate and assess which party is more committed to ensuring a corruption-free nation.

Although he accused PH of having a lower standard than PN, Muhyiddin said he would continue with the national anti-corruption plan, a five-year initiative introduced by the PH government in 2019.

“We will also set up an anti-corruption court and amend laws in relation to political funding to curb the menace,” he added. – November 7, 2022.