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Former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli said his wife received threatening messages after their son was attacked with a mystery syringe yesterday, 13 August
Speaking at a press conference today, 14 August, the Pandan member of parliament said his wife received two messages from the same phone number, one at 1.12am and another at 11.02 am.
The first message read: "Diam! Andai teruskan, AIDS! (Shut up! If you continue, AIDS!)."
The second message carried the same words, but included three syringe emojis.
Rafizi said he has informed the police about the messages.
While he does not know the identities of the attackers, Rafizi said a group of whistleblowers had recently approached him about a scandal
"Last week, a group of whistleblowers came to me about a scandal. That I can tell.
"I think the party involved, whoever masterminded (the attack), is aware of this.
"Normally, when I investigate a case, I dig deep. At the same time, people with information will keep coming (to me).
"In my opinion, (the attack) was intended to pressure me into dropping the matter altogether," he said.
Rafizi declined to provide further details, saying it could interfere with the ongoing police investigation.
Despite the attack, Rafizi said he intends to proceed with his investigation into the scandal, adding that his wife has not objected.
"My wife and my son have gone through this multiple times. I was in prison and so on, right? So I don't think we intend to change course," he said, pausing briefly to compose himself.
However, he acknowledged that this incident may be different, as his son was targeted despite him keeping his family low-profile throughout his 15-year political career.
Speaking about his son, Rafizi said he is recovering well
While a full medical analysis could take several months, involving continuous observation and repeated blood tests, Rafizi said three possible types of substances might have been injected: a viral agent such as hepatitis or HIV, drugs or poison, or simply water.
Based on the first 24 hours of observation, he feels reassured that drugs or poison can likely be ruled out, as there were no immediate side effects.
His son will nevertheless need blood tests frequently for at least six months to rule out any viral infections.
Watch the press conference here:
