A former lawmaker has said that the move to charge former Penang deputy chief minister II P. Ramasamy (main image) raises serious concerns about the priorities and integrity of our democratic institutions.
Former Klang DAP MP Charles Santiago, said the charges against Ramasamy, formerly also from DAP, “is not justice”.
“It’s political payback dressed in legal robes,” said Santiago.
“At a time when Malaysia is grappling with economic uncertainty, youth unemployment, and rising costs of living, the selective prosecution of political critics sends a dangerous message that dissent is punishable, and political convenience trumps justice,” he said.
Ramasamy, 76, claimed trial at the Butterworth Sessions Court today to 17 charges of criminal breach of trust involving funds belonging to the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) totalling RM859,131.29.
He faces 13 charges for committing criminal breach of trust by misusing the funds, in his capacity as PHEB chairman, to pay RM779,131.29 in separate payments via cheque and telegraphic transfer for the purchase of a gold chariot to two different companies, without first obtaining approval from the PHEB meeting. The offences were allegedly committed in the Timur Laut district between 2019 and 2023.
He faces two other charges involving payments totalling RM65,000 via cheques to two individuals for medical expenses without obtaining the approval of the PHEB meeting. Ramasamy is charged with committing the offence at a bank in the Timur Laut district on March 9, 2020, and Aug 24, 2021.
He was also slapped with two other charges of making separate payments totalling RM15,000 via cheques to two students for educational financial assistance without obtaining the approval of the PHEB meeting, at the same bank on Jan 5 and Feb 9, 2022.
The charges, framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code, provide for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, with whipping and a fine, if convicted.
Santiago, however, said the allegations linked to a 2017 procurement involving the PHEB are not new.
“They have been in the public domain for years, and were previously brought to the attention of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC),” he said.
“But the sudden urgency to press charges, conveniently timed after Ramasamy’s outspoken criticism of Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim on issues such as nepotism, governance, and institutional decay, raises legitimate suspicions of political retaliation.”
Santiago, who is also Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights co-chair, claimed the issue at hand was not just about Ramasamy but the integrity of public institutions that must operate free from political influence.
“When state machinery appears to be weaponised to silence dissent, especially against veteran leaders who have contributed decades of service, it undermines public trust in both the justice system and the government’s reform agenda,” he noted.
“Malaysia cannot build a progressive, inclusive future by reverting to the old playbook of persecution.”
Santiago, who was Malaysian Water Services Commission (SPAN) chairman up until recently, said Malaysia needs bold, independent voices now more than ever.
“(We need) voices that question, that critique, and that hold those in power accountable. If every critic of the government is to be met with legal intimidation, then the promise of ‘Madani governance’ rings hollow,” he said.
“At a time when racial polarisation, economic disparity, and democratic fatigue are real and growing, the last thing Malaysia needs is to distract itself with anything that vaguely hints at political vendettas.”
“Leadership is about confronting uncomfortable truths, not silencing those who speak them. The rakyat deserves answers, reforms, and a future. And not theatre masked as justice,” he added.
