In a statement issued today, Azalina said the Pandan MP was “afraid and desperate to the point where he wants to start an online campaign” after hearing that Attorney-General Apandi Ali was considering amending the OSA 1972 for stiffer penalties to be imposed on whistleblowers who leaked government secrets and journalists who reported on it.

She said that rather than taking his campaign online, Rafizi should debate the issue in Parliament if the amendment to the law was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.

“He (Rafizi) purposely said the amendment is a form of oppression towards journalists and press freedom so that he would get support from the media.

“I hope the media will not be influenced by him as he continuously uses the media, especially the alternative media, to get cheap publicity.”

Azalina was responding to Rafizi’s claim that the AG’s proposal would only tarnish the Prime Minister’s image further.

Rafizi had also said the proposal would oppress journalists and stifle media freedom.

Azalina pointed out that Rafizi was not immune or special under the law, especially since he had been charged under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (BAFIA).

The PKR secretary-general was charged in 2012 with revealing four Public Bank customer-profile documents – related to the National Feedlot Centre and Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) chairman Mohamad Salleh Ismail, among others – to unauthorised individuals.

Azalina noted that during a debate in Parliament, Rafizi stated he had obtained leaked information on purchase of government assets.

“In a way, he is admitting to what he did and thus it is appropriate for an investigation to be conducted and action to be taken immediately,” she said, adding that Rafizi’s actions in obtaining personal information from financial institutions was itself against the law.

The Pengerang lawmaker claimed that Rafizi was seeking “political publicity” by exposing scandals which left the public in a confused state.