He said in a statement that he had appointed counsel M Reza Hassan of Messrs Raja Riza & Associates “to exhaust all legal means” to put Rafizi’s “continuous slandering to rest”.
Rahman said Pandan MP Rafizi had, on Monday, accused him of appointing his brother as the main contractor for the Expo Negaraku.
“At the same press conference, Rafizi had confidently asserted that he had undertaken thorough research and various investigations, the result of which prove that, Raslan Dahlan, the CEO of PICO Integrated Exhibits (M) Sdn Bhd is indeed my brother. Therefore, I have been accused of nepotism in discharging my ministerial duties by appointing my family member to benefit from Expo Negaraku.
“Like countless other statements by Rafizi, this is another blatant lie that does not befit his position as a member of parliament.”
He said Rafizi’s body language, demeanor and intonation during the press conference had been “orchestrated to perfection” to convince viewers of the “slanderous” allegation against me.
The minister said he was forced to respond to the allegation, or else people might have believed the PKR vice-president.
“I have evidence in my possession that Rafizi had contacted Raslan Dahlan immediately after his press conference, via a Facebook message asking whether Raslan was actually my brother. This shows that Rafizi was unsure of the facts. Nonetheless, for the sake of his political ambitions, he went on to defame me.
“I was also aggrieved by the fact that Rafizi accused EPU officers of leaking the incorrect information in an attempt to create strife between hardworking EPU officers and me,” Rahman said.
Rafizi had yesterday apologised to Raslan over his allegations, but said he would not apologise to Rahman.
“If Rahman Dahlan is not happy about that, then sue me. But don’t run away from the main issue of who paid for the expo, how much it cost and why it is not listed in the procurement system.” Rafizi said the expo cost RM34 million.
Earlier, Rafizi had alleged that a huge government contract was awarded to a company headed by a sibling of Rahman. He was forced to remove his posts after finding out that the Raslan Dahlan he had named was not Rahman’s elder brother.
Expo Negaraku 2017, a month-long exhibition, began on Nov 15. It showcases infrastructure projects, including the controversial Bandar Malaysia project.