{
  "id": 2404562,
  "title": "Not every criticism warrants legal action, says Rafizi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/not-every-criticism-warrants-legal-action-says-rafizi-2404562",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-21T15:55:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/08/21/not-every-criticism-warrants-legal-action-says-rafizi"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bersama chief Rafizi Ramli has advised politicians not to pursue legal action over every criticism, as they must be prepared to face questions and disputes. The political commentator acknowledged that politicians have the legal right to sue over defamatory statements, but emphasized the importance of responding to criticism. Rafizi argued that ordinary people lack a platform to respond, unlike politicians. He made his remarks on his \"Yang Berhenti Menteri\" podcast in response to Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki's legal action against several social media accounts linked to the Tabung Haji controversy. Asyraf sought RM5 million in defamation compensation, claiming his reputation was intentionally tarnished by linking him to the TH issue. Rafizi warned that politicians could become trapped in a \"rabbit hole\" if they choose to sue everyone, as once legal action begins, it's difficult to stop. He added that he generally avoids taking critics to court due to the time-consuming nature of legal proceedings and the impact on families. The former Pandan MP stated that his legal suit against rapper Ariz Ramli, or Caprice, was an exception as the allegations of his involvement in corrupt billion-ringgit projects were false and malicious. Bersama's decision to announce its prospective Melaka state election candidates early aimed to reduce corruption in the selection process. Rafizi explained that late announcements gave too much power to party presidents and encouraged \"horse trading\" and lobbying. The party aims to build a culture of candidate selection by party members rather than being chosen by the president. Rafizi hopes this will give party members greater power to choose candidates, although safeguards are needed to prevent money politics and ensure fairness and transparency. Announced candidates by Bersama are referred to as \"shadow candidates\" as their candidacies are not finalized and could be replaced if significant problems emerge.",
  "summary": "The Bersama leader says politicians have platforms in which they can respond to questions and disputes.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Not every criticism warrants legal action, says Rafizi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/not-every-criticism-warrants-legal-action-says-rafizi",
        "published": "2026-08-21T15:55:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}