PAS sends Sarawak Report notice over RM90 million ‘bribe’

Party takes first step in initiating law suit by giving its editor seven days to respond, says Takiyuddin Hassan.

(FMT) – PAS lawyers in the United Kingdom have sent a letter of demand to Sarawak Report for claiming that the party leadership had received RM90 million from Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the legal notice was served on Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown earlier this week.

“We have given her seven days to respond to the letter of demand. Wait for another day or two before we decide the next course of action,” he told FMT.

Takiyuddin said the party took time to serve the notice as its lawyers there needed time to study the case and for PAS to affirm the content in the demand letter.

“We have now served the notice as the first step in initiating the law suit,” he added.

Takiyuddin, also a lawyer, said he was mindful that the party must protect its reputation in the eyes of the public but had to do some preparatory work before the notice was sent.

The party’s delay in initiating the legal process was also due to scouting for lawyers in the United Kingdom to handle the brief.

It finally appointed counsel in September.

Before deciding to file a suit, an aggrieved party will send a notice to the publisher, seeking the retraction of the defamatory statement, an apology and monetary compensation, failing which a suit will be filed in court.

Sarawak Report had alleged in an article on Aug 6 that RM90 million was “reckoned” to have entered into the accounts of top PAS leaders.

The money transacted, it said, was one of Najib’s attempts to “woo” the PAS leadership into supporting Barisan Nasional and Umno.

The allegation was criticised by PAS leaders, including its deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man who was reported to have said PAS would take legal action against the portal for its ill-intentioned report to tarnish the party’s reputation as well as its Islamic policies.