Hadi files suit against Sarawak Report founder
PETALING JAYA: PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has filed a defamation suit against Sarawak Report editor and founder Clare Rewcastle Brown for alleging he had received money from the government.
Party secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan said the suit was filed at the London High Court on April 21.
He added Abdul Hadi was seeking damages and an injunction from the court, in relation to an article published by Sarawak Report on Aug 6 last year.
Takiyuddin said the article had suggested Abdul Hadi had personally received a big amount from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to compromise PAS’s political stand.
“All the allegations were not true at all. The allegations of corruption have clearly destroyed and affected the reputation of the PAS president,” he said in a statement.
Takiyuddin said Abdul Hadi had appointed a London-based legal firm, Carter-Nick, to submit a letter of complaint to Rewcastle Brown at the end of last year.
He added the letter had demanded for Rewcastle Brown to remove or delete the article and publish an apology to Abdul Hadi.
“However, Rewcastle Brown has failed to provide a response to the complaint and made several public statements that had complicated the situation,” he said.
Takiyuddin said the suit needed to be made as the article had affected Abdul Hadi’s reputation in Malaysia and Singapore, as well as in England and Wales.
“Taking into consideration the heavy accusation, the PAS president will not let it go unchallenged,” he said.