The former trade minister challenged the government to issue a cabinet white paper on some 40,000 hectares of land, which she said had been privatised without open tender under a plan presented in 2008 by then defence minister Najib Razak.
“Wallahi, Wabillahi, Watallahi,” Rafidah told FMT in a text message repeating Arabic expressions used in an Islamic oath.
“Do not deny this fact,” she said, hours after Hishamuddin rejected her claims in an “open letter” to Najib posted on her Facebook.
“I bear witness with Allah. What is important is that all the Ministry of Defence land has been privatised and leased for 40 years to a private company,” she told FMT.
Earlier, Hishammuddin said Rafidah’s allegation that a company run by three persons now owns every inch of his ministry’s assets was a “blatant lie”.
“Her statement that this three-person company which is alleged to make decisions on Mindef/armed forces land, is also untrue and is also an outright lie,” he said in response to Rafidah’s open letter posted on her Facebook page.
Rafidah among others said Najib had also proposed that the privatisation of the land be awarded to a company owned by three individuals, two men and a woman, without open tender or requests for quotations.
She said she was the only one who had questioned the plan during cabinet meetings, including on why Armed Forces fund Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) was not chosen for the proposed privatisation.
Rafidah told FMT she was standing by the contents of her post.
“Mindef does not own even one inch of the land. Everything has been privatised to a company owned by three individuals.
“That’s the basic fact. Don’t run away from this basic fact. God is all-knowing,” she added.
Rafidah said she decided to write her “open letter” to Najib out of her conscience.
“I would be irresponsible if I just sat back, and let traversty and wrongdoings rule,” she added.
She said she had no interest to make a political comeback, but wanted to put things right.
“I am very happily retired. Not one iota of interest to be back in politics.”
Lies, all lies, Hisham rejects Rafidah’s claims over army land