PAS is seeking an apology from TV3 for making a false claim in its news slot yesterday that cast a negative aspersion on the party.

Failure by the station to apologise will prompt PAS to initiate legal action, said PAS secretary-general Nasharudin Mat Isa today.

Nasharudin said TV3 in its Buletin Utama prime news slot at 8pm last night had claimed that PAS had delivered a letter dated Feb 15 relating to the Malay Unity talks to Umno secretary- general Khalil Yaakob by merely slipping it under Khalil's office door.

Nasharudin said the report was not true and was slanted to show that PAS was not acting in a polite or courteous manner.

Insulting

"We refute this news report and consider it to be a lie to insult and discredit the party. TV3 is trying to lower PAS' credibility as well as to incite people to hate PAS," said Nasharudin in a statement.

The report was created to raise doubts on PAS' willingness to continue the Malay unity talks with Umno, added Nasharudin.

He clarified that the letter was delivered personally by hand by a PAS official to Khalil's office at the Umno headquarters.

The letter was then received by one of Khalil's staff, who also acknowledged receiving the letter on behalf of Khalil, said Nasharudin.

"It is illogical to say that we just left the letter under Khalil's door and that he only saw it the next day. Besides, we don't have access to his office," he said.

Delivery confirmed

Contacted by malaysiakini , Khalil's press secretary Zukri Valentino confirmed that PAS' letter was hand-delivered to Khalil's office by a PAS official.

Nasharudin said TV3 should issue an open apology to the party as well as give an explanation on what really occurred.

"TV3's failure to do so will force PAS to initiate legal actions," he said.

He reiterated that the false report was an attempt to bring the party into disrepute as PAS was adamant in postponing the unity talks because conditions were not conducive.

Meeting postponed

PAS decided one day before the proposed meeting on Feb 19 to postpone the unity talks with Umno owing to factors which it claimed did not promote for a conducive environment.

PAS has also set a number of pre-conditions which it insisted should be met by Umno before the talks can begin.

These include the return of the oil royalty taken away from Terengganu by the federal government and the lifting of newly-imposed circulation restrictions on the PAS party organ, Harakah .

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