Unfazed by legal threats, Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli today repeated his claim that the supplier of the indelible ink for the 13th general election won the contract due to its close ties with the "Election Commission (EC) leadership".

Rafizi said he was prompted to do so because Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia had ruled that he had contravened Standing Order 36(8), which bars the mention of the EC unless this is done through a separate motion.

The EC top brass has since denied the allegation. Malaysiakini has tried to contact the company, Integrated Challenger, for its comment.

NONESpeaking at the Parliament lobby, Rafizi also furnished evidence that a company that supplied hats to the EC, Nash Ventures Sdn Bhd, had ties with the ink contractor.

Based on his Companies Commission of Malaysia search, a director of Nash Ventures, named by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim as the supplier yesterday, is also a director of Allisons Corp Sdn Bhd.

The director - Shamsia Mansoor - has the same address as Mohamad Salleh Mohamad Alli.

Mohamad Salleh is adirector with both Allisons Corp and Integrated Challenger, which Rafizi fingers as the ink contractor.

“Based on the answer (by the minister) so far, I strongly believe that Integrated Challenger is the company for the ink. If not the minister would have denied it on record.

“The fact that he did not deny it confirms and strengthens my belief,” Rafizi told reporters.

Dormant company

He added that CCM’s records on Nash Ventures show that the company won the deal in 2012 even though it had not filed their financial statements since 2009 and that it was a “dormant company”.

Malaysiakini’s checks on Integrated Challenger also showed that the company had not filed its financial statements since 2009, when its revenue was more than RM5 million.

“Those familiar with Treasury procedures will know that the key criteria for a tender award is sound financial position especially in terms of cash flow,” Rafizi said.

“They have not updated their financial records and yet were given a chance to get... supply contracts through direct negotiations, thus strengthening my assertion that Mohamed Salleh has good ties with the EC leadership.”

Asked by reporters why he was not mentioning the EC chief and his deputy in his assertions, as per in the Dewan, he said: “I have always said (this involves) the (EC) leadership including the chairperson and the deputy chairperson.”

The wording of Rafizi’s press statement, which does not mention the EC chief or his deputy, was a point of contention for BN MPs in the House.

Reezal Naina Merican (BN-Kepala Batas) and Noh Omar (BN-Tanjong Karang) said Rafizi failed to uphold his promise to the speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia when he said he will repeat his allegations outside the Dewan.

However, Pandikar said the ruling was merely so that the aggrieved persons can take civil action if they feel Rafizi is defaming them, but it is up to Rafizi whether to repeat it outside the House or not.

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