PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli has refused to apologise to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor.

The Pandan lawmaker said he would defend his statements in court.

Rafizi was slapped with a letter of demand last week, which threatened him with legal action should he fail to apologise to the couple within 14 days.

The letter was sent with regard to his speech on Nov 23, where he talked about fuel subsidies and diamond rings being purchased for Rosmah.

Responding to the couple’s lawyers from the firm Hafarizam and Wan Aishah Mubarak, the legal firm Daim and Gamany, which represents Rafizi ( right ), stated that their client believes that his statement was justified or fair comment.

“Our client is surprised that your client, as prime minister of Malaysia, has chosen to issue a legal demand over criticism of your client’s policies with regard to the oil subsidy, which is a matter of public interest.

“Our client, as a member of Parliament, is duty bound to raise and explain such issues to the Malaysian public.

“In these circumstances, we are instructed to reject in its entirety the several demands made in your letter,” the Daim and Gamany letter states.

Previously, Rafizi told Malaysiakin i that he was looking forward to going to court as many lawyers were eager to grill Rosmah.

In a statement today, the Pandan MP said he was waiting for Najib and Rosmah’s writ of summons before taking further action.

As for the disputed speech, Rafizi had told the audience that each month the Umno government saved RM1 billion from the removal of subsidies, which could be used to purchase 20 expensive rings for Rosmah, each costing RM20 million.

Najib and Rosmah’s lawyers stated that the allegations against the couple were “baseless and false”, made with the “primary intention of attacking and damaging” their reputation for no justifiable reason.

It also added that the allegations had caused the couple great distress and embarrassment.

Mediarakyat to also defend itself

Meanwhile, news portal Mediarakyat also said that it would defend itself against any allegations of defamation after letter of demands that were sent to the portal by Najib’s lawyers.

Mediarakyat owner Chan Chee Kong’s lawyers Messrs Daim and Gamany, in a letter to Najib’s lawyers Messrs Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak, said that their client refutes claims that the videos uploaded on their website were defamatory in nature.

The portal had been slapped by two letters of demand from Najib’s lawyers, and it would defend itself against both accusations.

“We are instructed to reject the demands made in your letter,” the letter read.

“We are finally instructed to convey to your clients that our client will vigorously defend any writ issued by your client on this matter,” it added.