ANINA SUES 6 PPBM LEADERS
Suit over allegations she received RM7m from Umno
FORMER Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) founding member Anina Saadudin has filed a defamation suit against six party members over allegations that she received RM7 million from Umno.
The six include four top leaders from Langkawi, who were personally appointed by the party’s chairman, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“I am unhappy with the malicious remarks by them made through Facebook, which have affected my credibility as a politician and my livelihood. Thus, I decided this is the only way for me to clear my name and prove that I did not receive any money from any party.”
She said the suit was over an allegation made by the six against her, claiming she had received RM7 million from Umno to join the party in June.
“The accusation was posted on Facebook and other social platforms during Ramadan.
“I waited until after Syawal to consider legal action and gave them ample time to apologise and retract their accusation. However, they did not bother.
“I brought up the matter with the party’s leadership, but nothing happened.
“It was only after that that I considered taking the matter up with the party’s disciplinary board, the police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, as well as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission,” she said at her house in Bandar Baru Bangi here yesterday.
She said the suit was filed through her lawyers from Tetuan Abdul Aziz & Yazmin at the Shah Alam High Court yesterday.
Anina said prior to yesterday’s decision, her lawyers had issued notices to the six, requesting for an apology by August, which went unanswered.
The six, she said, did not include Dr Mahathir, who is also the head of PPBM Langkawi division.
“The party’s leadership and diciplinary board’s failure to come to my defence following the accusations made me lose confidence in them,” said Anina, who quit PPBM on Sept 16.
She said she could not reveal the identities of the six upon her lawyers’ advice, and since the writ might not have reached all of them yet.
She expressed disappointment in PPBM Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman for his irresponsible statement on Oct 2 that implicated her to be one of those who was supposedly paid off by Umno to leave the party.
“It’s very irresponsible of him to do such a thing.
“He claimed to have proof and I don’t know what kind of proof he is talking about.
“If he really has evidence that I received RM7 million, then he should use it to help or defend the six people I am taking to court.”
She said the quantum she was demanding in her suit was based on each individual’s position in the party.