Ikmal Hisham has demanded that Rafizi pay him RM500,000 in general and exemplary damages as well as take down the alleged defamatory statements against him and his family.

“If these demands are not fulfilled within seven days, we will take the matter to court,” he said in a statement.

He also wanted Rafizi to issue a public apology and cease making such statements.

“Don’t involve my children and wife in these political games just to win the support of voters,” he warned.

Ikmal Hisham said the uneasiness felt by Rafizi due to growing support for Perikatan Nasional had led the Pakatan Harapan’s Pandan candidate to smear the name of his opponents.

On Oct 7, Ikmal Hisham denied any links to the company that had been awarded a contract to procure the howitzers, adding that as the deputy defence minister, he had no authority to award such contracts.

He said the defence ministry had determined that procedures relating to the procurement of assets were handled by “the customer”, meaning the army, navy or air force, before the matter was brought up to the Economic Planning Unit, the Prime Minister’s Department and the finance minister for approval.

Ikmal Hisham also said he had lodged a police report against Rafizi and would leave it to the authorities to investigate.

Previously, Rafizi alleged that the procurement of the howitzers, involving a sum of RM854 million, was awarded directly to a company that had just been established two years before.

He said the company was jointly owned by the deputy minister’s wife and son.