PAS owes the people an explanation on the “dedak cartel” given the seriousness of the allegations, said PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

He added the Islamist party will be right to gag its members from issuing statements on the issue if it is an internal matter.

However, Anwar said the funds involved are from another political party.

“If it is purely an internal matter, it is for PAS to decide. But it is in the public sphere and it involves funds of other parties.

“The public has the right to know,” he told reporters at the sidelines of an event at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) today.

He said the onus was on those accused of receiving the money to set the record straight.

Anwar added that PAS should practice what it preaches as the party is known to advocate modest living and not accepting gratification from questionable sources.

“Hence, it is even more important for PAS to clarify these serious allegations so that the people know the truth.”

PAS had issued a gag order on party members PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s son-in-law Zaharudin Muhammad said there is a group within the party that had received “dedak” (money) from Umno.

Without naming the corrupt persons in a Facebook post on Saturday, Zaharudin listed the five individuals as “Dr Hussam II”, “Mr NT”, “Mr KT”, “Mr KH” and “everyone knows”.

The allegation is widely believed to be linked to an audio recording involving Bachok MP Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz talking about Umno’s funding of PAS. – May 15, 2019.