I’ve seen evidence of Umno’s funds transfer to PAS, says Husam Musa

(TMI) – FORMER PAS vice-president Husam Musa said he has seen for himself evidence that PAS leaders had received money from ruling Malay party Umno to the tune of more than RM90 million.

The evidence involved banking transactions through Affin Bank, the Kelantan Amanah politician said in a dialogue session posted on his Facebook page last night.

“I’m not playing with words. I’m speaking after having seen for myself the source of information, and after determining that it is accurate and correct.  

“The money was channelled through Affin Bank to several parties related to the PAS leadership, besides other banking evidence,” said the Salor assemblyman.

Husam, who has spoken about the transactions before, said the amount given to PAS leaders exceeded RM90 million.

“In my previous speech, I did not mention the amount. I only mentioned the name of Affin Bank.

“I still stand by what I have said, other than revealing the amount now,” he told interviewer Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh in the recorded dialogue.

Allegations that the Islamist party had received RM90 million from Umno have also been reported by whistle-blower website Sarawak Report, whose UK-based editor, Clare Rewcastle-Brown, is being sued by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for defamation.

Husam, who was sacked from PAS in May last year for criticising its leadership, had made similar claims at an Amanah ceramah in Kelantan earlier this year.

Another opposition politician who has alleged that a PAS leader had received money from Umno is PKR’s Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli.

Husam noted, however, that Rafizi was not being sued, while Rewcastle-Brown was.

Rewcastle-Brown, in her statement of defence, named PAS leaders who had benefited from the money allegedly given by Umno.

Luxury vehicles were cited as among the items these leaders had purchased.

The editor’s statement of defence also named prominent human rights activist and lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan as the source of her information on the funds given by Umno to PAS, which traditionally has been the former’s arch-rival for the Malay-Muslim vote.

PAS, which has left the main opposition bloc, was replaced by splinter party Amanah.

Ambiga is being investigated under the Penal Code for causing public alarm in relation to Rewcastle-Brown’s article.

The article, titled “As Najib denies all over 1MBDB let’s not forget his many other criminal connections”, was published on August 6 last year and suggested that money was given in exchange for PAS’ support for ruling coalition Barisan Nasional.

Hadi’s suit against Rewcastle-Brown was file in the UK through Carter-Ruck, said to be one of the most expensive law firms there.