Selangor Umno has given Rafizi Ramli five days to file a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) or police regarding the allegation of money and women being sought during negotiations with the Selangor state government.

If the PKR secretary-general failed to do so, Selangor Umno information chief Zein Isma said he would file a police report on the leaked WhatsApp conversation which brought the allegation to light.

“We will file a report asking the police to probe Rafizi under Section 212 of the Penal Code for protecting an individual who has committed a crime,” he told Umno Online.

He also pointed out that the WhatsApp conversation is not mere slander or something which was cooked up as the PKR leader himself admitted it was authentic.

“Rafizi, who purportedly champions integrity, must report the matter to the authorities...,” he said.

Rafizi had said that he would furnish the evidence to PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail before deciding on whether to file a report with the MACC.

In the leaked WhatsApp conversation, the Pandan MP claimed to have received a complaint from a “bona fide” individual regarding the matter.

However, Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali dismissed the allegation as baseless, claiming that it was a smear campaign against his administration.

Meanwhile, a legal practitioner Kamaruddin Ahmad also told Umno Online that if Rafizi did not report the matter to the authorities, he could face action under Section 212.

“The allegation is serious because it involves the credibility of the Selangor government. It is his responsibility to report the matter to the authorities to enable an investigation,” he said.

Section 212 concerns the crime of harbouring an offender, which is punishable with imprisonment.

The WhatsApp leak as well as the exposure of jailed former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s scathing letter to party leaders had fuelled speculation of a widening rift within PKR.