PAS is pursuing a dirty tactic of trying to bankrupt Sarawak Report by prolonging its defamation trial, said Clare Rewcastle-Brown today.

The whistle-blower website editor said today, it is also ridiculous for PAS to claim moral victory over her when the defamation case has not been heard.

The Sarawak Report editor was commenting on PAS election director Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar’s claim today that the party has proven 70% of its suit against Sarawak Report.

Party president Abdul Hadi Awang had sued Rewcastle-Brown for defamation over an August 2016 article alleging that he received RM90 million from Umno in exchange for support for the ruling party.

Yesterday, Rewcastle-Brown was ordered to pay £41,400 (RM228,000) to Hadi after the latter won all five interlocutory applications.

“It is ridiculous for Hadi to claim moral victory when his case has not been heard,” Rewcastle-Brown told Malaysia Decides.

“We were trying to get a pre-trial to determine if he had a case or not for the benefit of both parties. I did not want a full trial and spend £2 million (RM10.8 million) on a case that I think I could win,” she said, adding that her lawyers had offered Hadi a speedy hearing to dispose of the whole case.

That offer was rejected, Rewcastle-Brown said, with the aim of proceeding to a full trial.

“The claim moral victory is sadly laughable as there was no discussion on the merit of this case.

“They (Hadi’s lawyers) had also said they would appeal if I had won a short trial. Their tactic is to financially exhaust me. That’s their tactic. They are not going to win with that tactic.”

Hadi has only won one preliminary application and the court has set a provisional date for a full trial for 10 days in April 2019. – May 1, 2018.