Move to drop suit raises eyebrows

PETALING JAYA: The out-of-court settlement between Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown over a defamation suit filed by the PAS president has raised the eyebrows of political leaders.

Abdul Hadi should relinquish his post for failing to push for the removal of the article in 2016 by Sarawak Report which alleged that RM90mil might have “flowed” to the top echelons of PAS leaders so that they would support Umno, said Amanah vice president Husam Musa.

“There should be ensuing action following the failure to have the article removed,” he said.

(Abdul Hadi had sued Rewcastle-Brown for libel over the article. She filed a counterclaim subsequently. And on Saturday, Abdul Hadi’s political secretary issued a statement to confirm that the case had been settled out of court. Both parties agreed to the undisclosed terms.)

Sarawak Report has since put a footnote to the article, which remained on its website, saying: “This article was the subject of legal proceedings brought by Abdul Hadi. (He) says that he has not personally accepted nor personally approved the acceptance by anyone at PAS of money from (then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) to secure their political support.”

In a statement yesterday, Husam also claimed that about RM2mil was collected earlier from PAS members and supporters to finance the legal suit, yet now the article “remains untouched”.

Amanah communications director Khalid Samad also questioned PAS’ decision to drop the suit.

DAP MP Lim Lip Eng urged PAS leaders to be forthcoming about the allegations made by Sarawak Report since its article remained unaltered and not retracted.

In a statement, he said it did not make sense for Abdul Hadi to withdraw the suit, especially after having spent money on the legal action and the court proceeding merely months away.

PAS member Ummu Marwah, a lawyer, said the decision to drop the suit shocked many members.

“Some members had sold personal belongings to help cover the legal cost,” she claimed.

Najib in a Facebook post denied he gave Abdul Hadi or PAS the RM90mil, added that Paka­tan Harapan had thoroughly investi­gated Umno’s bank accounts.

“If this (allegation) was true, the Pakatan-led government would have taken the opportunity to freeze either Abdul Hadi’s or PAS’ bank accounts,” he said.