THE voice heard in the controversial audio recording of a man saying PAS accepted money from Umno is party leader Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, Malaysiakini reported today. 

It reported PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan as confirming it was Bachok MP Nik Abduh in the recording.

He, however, said what was uttered did not mean what others were claiming – that the Islamist party received funds from Umno, Barisan Nasional’s lynchpin party. 

He said it meant PAS received donations from people who were Umno members. 

“Yes, Nik Abduh admits that it is his voice (in the recording) but it doesn’t carry the true context and meaning,” Takiyuddin was quoted as saying by the news portal. 

He said the part about PAS receiving Umno money had a further explanation, and that to understand the context of what was said in the recording, “one must hear and observe it in its entirety, from the first minute to the last minute”.

“For example, when Nik Abduh said (his father the late PAS spiritual leader) Nik Abdul Aziz (Nik Mat) also received Umno funds, it is not Umno’s money, but money from Umno members who gave contributions, especially for the Maahad Darul Anwar school.

“Some people follow Umno’s ideology, but when Tok Guru (Nik Aziz) wanted to build a school, they gave contributions. It does not mean the funds were from Umno, but from Umno members,” he said. 

Takiyuddin, who is also Kota Baru MP and a lawyer by profession, said PAS accepted contributions without asking if the donors were from PAS or Umno. 

PAS attracted criticism from inside and outside the party when whistle-blower site Sarawak Report published an article in 2016 alleging that several PAS leaders received RM90 million to covertly support Umno and BN ahead of the 14th general election.

The recording with Nik Abduh’s voice surfaced shortly after.

In 2017, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang sued Sarawak Report over the article but the suit was recently settled out of court, raising eyebrows.

This led a police report being lodged over the original allegation and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) starting investigations into the matter. 

Nik Abduh was among those recently summoned by MACC to give his statement. He claimed that he was a victim of “mistaken identity”.

“I think those who lodged a report against me had the wrong person. I have no knowledge of the RM90 million,” he reportedly said. – February 12, 2019.