Santiago said the timing of the charges against Ramasamy, who has been critical of the government since he quit DAP in August 2023, was suspicious when the allegations involving the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) were not new.

The DAP man warned that this move would tarnish public trust in the integrity of government institutions, including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

“The sudden urgency to press charges conveniently timed after Ramasamy’s outspoken criticism of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on issues such as nepotism, governance, and institutional decay raises legitimate suspicion of political retaliation.

“This is not just about Ramasamy. It is about 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 spent decades in public service, it undermines public trust in both the justice system and the government’s reform agenda,” he said in a statement.

Santiago said the unity government must not revert to the “playbook of persecution” employed by past administrations.

He said Putrajaya must value independent voices that question, critique and hold them accountable, and not meet them with legal intimidation.

“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 of political vendettas,” he said.

Earlier today, Ramasamy claimed trial to 17 charges of CBT by using RM859,131.29 in PHEB funds between May 2019 and February 2022 without obtaining the board’s formal approval.

Thirteen of the charges against Ramasamy, who chaired PHEB from 2010 to 2023, were linked to the procurement of a RM779,131.29 gold-plated Thaipusam chariot in 2019.

Two charges are linked to RM65,000 in medical assistance to individuals, while two other charges are linked to RM15,000 in education sponsorships.