JOHOR BARU, Sept 1 — PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli called on politicians to refrain from pressuring and interfering with the civil service, especially enforcement agencies and the judiciary, over the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal.

He said this was to avoid a negative public perception and to also uphold the good image of the judiciary, the police and enforcement agencies so that they can investigate the case freely.

"Personally, I don’t have a problem if the police want to probe me as I have been investigated hundreds of times in the past. To me, this is a normal process.

"To me, the public knows what is going on as they can read the details from the declassified forensic audit report released by Boustead Heavy Industries Corp Bhd (BHIC),” said Rafizi to reporters early this morning after chairing his second meeting with the newly appointed Johor PKR state leadership council at the party’s state office in Pusat Perdagangan Danga Utama in Skudai here.

The meeting started at 9.45pm yesterday and ended around midnight.

Rafizi was responding to questions on his reaction to being called up by the police to give his statement following his accusation linking Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad to alleged financial misconduct in relation to the RM9 billion LCS procurement.

He had earlier asked the police to launch an investigation into the scandal but was met with a counter-complaint filed by an aide of Dr Abdul Latiff, who is also the Mersing MP, yesterday for alleged defamation.

Rafizi then expressed his concern that this could mean the police might not record Dr Abdul Latiff’s statement or even investigate him in relation to his earlier police report.

He said that if that were to happen, it might give the public the perception that this was because the police are under the Home Ministry whose minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin is in the same party Dr Abdul Latiff.

"I know Bersatu is in panic mode because one of their ministers was linked to the LCS scandal,” he said.

Rafizi said action should be taken as even Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang had their statements recorded by police recently.

"During the course of the police taking my statement, I hope that the same action will be accorded to Dr Abdul Latiff at a police station.

"Only then, it is fair. The public will also have confidence in those investigating the issue,” he said, adding that the information he had shared was in the forensic audit report and are considered government documents.

Despite the counter-report made against him, Rafizi said he believes a thorough police investigation should be conducted on all parties over the LCS scandal.

He said police investigations are a step in the right direction and that he hopes the authorities do not selectively target him.