KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli believes the harrowing syringe attack on his 12-year-old son and chilling threats to his wife are an attempt to intimidate him into backing off from investigating a scandal.
The former economy minister said the attack took place just over a week after he met a group of whistleblowers on the matter last Wednesday.
“Knowing I am not afraid of being jailed or threatened, they have instead chosen to target my family,” he said at a press conference at Parliament yesterday.
According to Rafizi, his wife received a message from an unknown number saying, “Diam, andai teruskan AIDS” after their son was stabbed with a syringe by assailants on Wednesday.
The threat arrived at 1.12am yesterday, less than 12 hours after the attack, followed by a second identical message with syringe emojis at 11am the same day.
Visibly distraught, Rafizi said the incident appeared to have been planned days in advance by professionals who had tracked his wife’s movements.
“I just moved house, so not many people know where I live. This is also evident from the timing of the attack, which happened exactly when my wife stepped away and as soon as my son opened the car door,” he said.
Fortunately, medical tests have so far found no traces of drugs or poison in his son’s system.
“The concern now is whether the syringe contained a virus. We will need to take him for frequent blood tests over at least the next six months. My hope is that it was a blank syringe and just a threat,” he added.
Despite the ordeal, Rafizi said he and his wife had resolved not to change course in pursuing investigations into scandals.
“My wife and I have decided to continue as before, but we have taken certain security measures to better ensure our safety,” he said.
