Nik Abduh: Hadi gave me his blessings to deny it was me on recording

PETALING JAYA: Bachok MP Nik Abduh Nik Aziz (pic) claimed that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had given his “blessings” for him to deny that it was his voice on the recording alleging that it had received millions from Umno.

In a Facebook posting yesterday, Nik Abduh said he was torn between admitting the truth that it was indeed his voice and denying the audio recording.

“I had two choices. One is to tell the truth and admit. Second, to deny it. It was a closed door meeting to a targeted audience. Very closed. My right was to keep the secrecy and not to betray it. Both were syariah-compliant choices,” said Nik Abduh.

The audio recording Nik Abduh referred to was leaked and went viral in early 2018.

Nik Abduh said the PAS leaders he referred to had asked him to deny for the sake of the party as GE14 was approaching.

“Slander must be shut off, they argued. The president quickly gave me his blessings to deny.

“I was happy to follow the mandate (from Abdul Hadi),” Nik Abduh claimed.

He said the move saved PAS in GE14.

His admission on social media came in the wake of PAS admitting on Tuesday that it was indeed Nik Abduh’s voice in the leaked audio recording.

Nik Abduh said he decided to tell the truth at the courts in London and to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) probing the case.

“There are three institutions that changed my first choice (to tell the truth) – the party, the court and the government’s investigation MACC.

“Malaysia is the country which has the right over me,” he said.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan confirmed that the party had submitted all its bank account statements, from those dating back from 2015 to the latest statements, to the MACC.

He said some of the bank statements were dated before the articles on the RM90mil allegedly received by PAS were published in Sarawak Report.

“PAS is certain that the submission of these documents will allow the MACC to conduct its investigations freely and professionally,” he said in a statement.

The heading and first paragraph of this story have been amended to better reflect Nik Abduh's statement on FB.