AMANAH vice-president Mahfuz Omar today urged PAS members with information on the alleged RM90 million transfer from Umno to the Islamist party to go to the authorities.

He said this was because, despite PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s offer yesterday to settle his defamation suit against the Sarawak Report and its editor, Clare Rewcastle-Brown, the matter has not been clarified.

PAS had filed the suit in the UK over an article on the whistle-blower site accusing it of receiving RM90 million from former prime minister Najib Razak, in the latter’s attempt to woo the Islamist party ahead of the last general election.

Mahfuz today said that if PAS had any dignity, it would come forward and clear the air on the matter, which he described as embarrassing.

“The president’s decision to withdraw the suit makes it appear as if PAS did indeed receive money from Umno,” Mahfuz said.

He said PAS members had a stake in the matter as some had donated their own money to help pay the legal fees for Hadi’s defamation suit to be brought at the London High Court in the UK.

“PAS appealed for donations as it said it had a case. It even received more money than it needed as it only sought RM400,000, but received RM500,000.

“This shows that they wanted to sue Sarawak Report to clear the PAS president’s name.

“Suddenly, the offer was made and the suit settled. No changes were made to the Sarawak Report article. This is embarassing and should be explained to PAS members,” he said.

He said the best way for PAS to refute the allegation was for its members to file reports with the authorities. 

He, however, said it was also possible that PAS members did not feel ashamed of the allegation that it took money from Umno.

“(Then this is) like Najib, who has been going around saying ‘Malu Apa Bossku?’,” said Mahfuz, referring to Najib’s slogan made popular on social media.

The slogan has been part of Najib’s apparent “campaign” to remake his image in the wake of Barisan Nasional’s loss in the 14th general election and being slapped with numerous criminal charges in court.

Najib faces 42 charges of graft, abuse of power and money laundering in connection with his involvement in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

Mahfuz also questioned whether the settlement of the Sarawak Report case was linked to the recent strengthening of ties between Umno and PAS. 

“A trial will involve many aspects and Najib will be interrogated, which could affect the relations of many parties and Umno leaders,” said Mahfuz.

Earlier today, Amanah communications director Khalid Samad had said Hadi’s decision to retract his defamation suit was evidence of longstanding cooperation between Umno and PAS.

“When we (in Amanah) decided to leave PAS, we said that Umno and PAS were working together. They accused us of slander, but now it is crystal clear,” he had said.

DAP lawmaker Lim Lip Eng also today questioned why Hadi had spent more than RM2.5 million in legal fees for his defamation suit, only to settle the case. 

The Kepong MP had said the decision was even more curious as the trial date at the London court was just three months away – in April.

Yesterday, Hadi offered to settle his defamation suit with Sarawak Report for undisclosed terms of settlement.

Other than both parties withdrawing their claims and no order being made as to costs, other terms of the settlement are confidential.

Hadi made the decision to finalise an out-of-court settlement via a consent order dated February 1 at the London High Court of Justice, his political secretary, Syahir Sulaiman, had said in a statement. – February 3, 2019.