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CNA
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
'Be quiet. If you continue, AIDS': Malaysian ex-minister Rafizi alleges threats received after attack on son
PUTRAJAYA: Hours after his son was allegedly jabbed with a syringe at a shopping mall in Putrajaya, Malaysia's former economy minister Rafizi Ramli said on Thursday (Aug 14) that his family received threatening messages telling him to stop speaking up on national issues. 'The attack is clearly a threat as there were messages sent to us … in my opinion, the threats are related to my role as a Member of Parliament and as a politician,' the MP for Pandan in Selangor said at a press conference. The alleged attack on Wednesday has drawn condemnation from politicians on both sides of the aisle, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim calling for an immediate and transparent probe. SYRINGE ATTACK AND TEXT THREATS According to Rafizi, his wife and 12-year-old son were about to enter their car after leaving a shopping mall in Putrajaya at about 1.45pm when a man grabbed his son and jabbed him with a syringe. There are no details as to which part of the boy's body was jabbed. 'In my view, the attack had been planned in advance,' Rafizi said in a Wednesday statement, adding that his own checks revealed that two men on a motorcycle had been following his wife's car before that. He described the two assailants - both dressed in black and wearing full-face helmets - as having waited for the 'right moment' to attack his son. The boy is in stable condition and is receiving treatment at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Hospital, local media reported. 'Throughout my time as a high-profile politician, this is the first time my family has been the target of such an attack and threats,' Rafizi said in his Wednesday statement. 'I believe the attack is a warning for me not to be vocal on various issues … I will not bow down to any threats and will carry out my duties as usual.' Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar said on Wednesday that authorities are tracking down two male suspects and have obtained closed-circuit television footage from the mall, reported local news outlet The New Straits Times. Shazeli added that the incident is believed to have occurred at the pick-up and drop-off area, without identifying the exact mall. In his Thursday remarks, Rafizi said his wife received two text messages from an unknown number in the wake of the incident, threatening their son with an AIDS infection. The first came in shortly after 1am on Thursday, reading: 'Be quiet. If you continue, AIDS,' local news site Free Malaysia Today quoted Rafizi as saying. The same message came in again at around 11am, followed by three syringe emojis. Rafizi said he has reported this latest incident to the police. The former economy minister said he suspects the attack was linked to a case he was looking into, adding that he had met with a group of whistleblowers just last week. 'In my opinion, this is an attempt to silence me and they want me to drop the case,' Rafizi said on Thursday, without disclosing the case he was referring to. Rafizi stepped down as economy minister after losing the deputy president role of his political party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), to Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar on May 23. He remains in the party and continues to serve as MP for Pandan. In early July, Rafizi and eight other PKR MPs called for a royal inquiry and parliamentary investigation into high-profile judicial vacancies, which CNA previously reported posed a stern political test for Anwar. Later that same month, Rafizi urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to open an investigation into Anwar's former political aide over allegations linked to a mineral exploration licence in Sabah. BIPARTISAN CONDEMNATION Both the government and politicians across party lines have condemned the alleged attack. In a brief statement on Wednesday, Anwar said he had informed Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to ensure an 'immediate and transparent' probe into what he described as a 'malicious' and 'treacherous' assault. 'Praying for the best for Rafizi and his family,' Anwar added. Meanwhile, Saifuddin has assured that investigations into the attack will be conducted fairly and in accordance with the law, without regard to the status or background of any party involved. He also urged the public to refrain from making speculations and allow the police to carry out investigations according to the law, local media reported. Malaysia's opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional has also condemned the attack, with opposition chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan describing the attack as 'completely unacceptable'. Commenting on Rafizi's claim that the attack was a warning to silence him, Takiyuddin said that if proven true, it would represent a 'disturbing development of thuggish politics' which could pose a serious threat to the country's democratic landscape. 'Differences in political views should never lead to threats or physical violence, especially when children are involved,' said Takiyuddin, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today.
CTV News
22-06-2025
- CTV News
Wave of syringe attacks mar France's street music festival
France's President Emmanuel Macron on stage during the annual 'fete de la musique' music festival in the courtyard of the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla, Pool) PARIS, France — French police have detained twelve suspects after 145 people reported being pricked with syringes during the country's annual street music festival, officials said Sunday. Millions of people took to the streets across France on Saturday evening for the Fete de la Musique, with authorities reporting 'unprecedented crowds' in Paris. Before the party, posts on social media had called for women to be targeted during the festivities. The interior ministry said 145 victims across the country had reported being stabbed with needles. Paris police reported 13 cases in the capital. Officials did not say if these were cases of so-called needle spiking with date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB, used by attackers to render victims confused or inconscious and vulnerable to sexual assault. 'Some victims were taken to hospital for toxicological tests,' the ministry said. In Paris, investigations were opened after three people including a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old male, reported being stabbed in separate incidents across Paris, prosecutors said. All three reported feeling unwell. Across France, 12 suspects have been arrested, the interior ministry said. Among them were four people in the southwestern city of Angouleme suspected of having targeted around 50 victims, said a police source. Apart from those suspects, more than 370 people were detained during the festival on various charges, including nearly 90 people in Paris. Fourteen participants in the festivities were seriously injured, including a 17-year-old hospitalised after being found sitting on the street with stab wounds to the lower abdomen. Thirteen members of law enforcement were also injured. The prefect of the Paris police, Laurent Nunez, said that 'no major incident has been reported'.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Yahoo
More Than a Dozen Young Women Hospitalized Following Syringe Attack at Popular Music Festival
More than a dozen young women were hospitalized following a syringe attack at a popular music festival in France on June 21 A male suspect was later arrested after being identified by one of the victims Another individual was arrested for 'slapping a young girl" during the same music event, Metz Mayor François Grosdidier saidMore than a dozen young women were hospitalized following a syringe attack at a popular music festival. On Saturday, June 21, a call was made to police at around 9:15 p.m. local time during the French music event Fêtes de la Musique about "syringe attacks," Metz Mayor François Grosdidier said in a social media post. When authorities responded to Rue du Palais in La Rochelle, France, Grosdidier said multiple women between the ages of 14 and 20 were found to be victims of the attack. A male suspect was later arrested after being reported to the Criminal Unit for the Prevention of Drugs and Drug Abuse, the mayor added. Police were able to locate and identify the alleged perpetrator through video footage. They then handed him over to the National Police and the Justice Department. 'I hope that the investigation, particularly through the examination of his cell phone, will lead to the identification of other attackers,' Grosdidier wrote in his social media post. According to the French outlet Le Républicain Lorrain, syringe attacks also took place at the Place de la République and Place Saint-Jacques. Grosdidier said in his social media post that "firefighters intervened promptly to each attack in large numbers" and "created a gathering point for the victims at Place d'Armes." Le Républicain Lorrain reported that the victims were taken to a local hospital for care after the incident. Per the outlet, the man arrested was identified by one of the women. Le Républicain Lorrain added that it is currently unclear if the suspect acted alone. No syringes were found on his person, and the items used in the attacks have yet to be identified. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Elsewhere during the music event, Mayor Grosdidier said a second individual was arrested for 'slapping a young girl." Authorities, the politician added, "brought a few brawls under control during the night" and "also intervened to save a dog in crisis." He said the animal was "locked in a car." The French National Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Sunday, June 22. Read the original article on People
