KUALA LUMPUR – Following claims of paying cybertroopers using ministry funds, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said he will be suing Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal for defamation.
On X, Rafizi said he already instructed his lawyers to initiate litigation.
“I have never sued anyone before, but the falsity of the Machang MP’s statements will be very apparent when the matter is brought to court,” Rafizi said.
On September 13, Wan Fayhsal shared an X post by user “Encik Richard” with the following captions: “These are all Rafizi’s ‘macai belaan’ (paid cybertroopers). Feels good to use ministry funds for political purposes.”
Undeterred by threats of litigation, Wan Fayhsal told Rafizi to “bring it on”, adding that he could not wait to “reveal everything in court”.
“The people and taxpayers must know the truth about these political appointments,” Wan Fayhsal said on X.
The original post by Encik Richard on X made claims that TikTok influencer Nazri Hamdan received monies from Rafizi to praise the government’s economic successes on social media.
The real identity behind the Encik Richard’s X account remains unknown.
In response to Encik Richard’s X post, Rafizi has also instructed his press secretary to file a police report over the false claims, adding that the user is a PAS influencer.
Additionally, Rafizi emphasised that the Economy Ministry has never made payments to influencers including Nazri.
He also said that the X user, if intending to expose a government scandal, should call for a press conference and reveal his true identity.
“Richard is rumoured to be someone close to PAS party leaders and hides behind a fake social media account.
“It’s time for the law to take action so that we can prevent these types of fake news,” Rafizi added. – September 14, 2024