ALL PAS leaders purported by Sarawak Report to have received RM90 million from Umno must be investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), said Amanah Youth.

Its deputy, Faiz Fadzil, said the decision by PAS to withdraw its defamation suit against whistleblowing site was clear that the Islamist party had received the funds. 

“As this issue involves the misappropriation of 1MDB funds, which has criminal elements, including corruption and money laundering, PAS and its leaders who received the funds must be investigated by MACC.

“They must be investigated whether the RM90 million funds was for PAS to support Umno, as PAS is seen to be defending the 1MDB scandal,” said Faiz, who is the Permatang Pasir assemblyman in Penang.

Sarawak Report reported in 2016 that PAS had received RM90 million from Najib Razak, and linked the flow of funds to the scandal surrounding 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang sued the portal’s editor, Clare Rewcastle Brown, for defamation. Rewcastle Brown in turn counter-sued Hadi, claiming that he was exploiting proceedings to discredit her and Sarawak Report.

Both parties recently dropped their suits in a confidential out of court settlement which has raised eyebrows among political observers as the original article that Hadi alleged was defamatory was not ordered to be taken down.

An MACC told The Malaysian Insight that despite the claim originally made by Sarawak Report being widely published in the media, there has yet to be a formal report lodged with the anti-graft agency.

He also dismissed MACC statement that the investigation cannot be conducted as no official complaint was made.

“According to Section 29 (3) of the MACC Act 2009, the MACC may investigate any information other than written complaints regarding corruption.”

He said the case has been widely disclosed by the media and its facts have been disclosed in Rewcastle Brown’s statement of claim, which is a public document.

“The document can be used as a basis of investigation because the facts have disclosed that corruption has taken place.

“No one should be let off free in the 1MDB scandal because of the huge misappropriation of funds,” he said. – February 5, 2019.