Terengganu Menteri Besar Abdul Hadi Awang will write to Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to arrange a meeting to discuss his claim that police in the state were abetting vice activities.

The PAS president said if the deputy premier agreed to the meeting, it will o­nly take place in a fortnight's time after he returned from a trip abroad.

"I will write a letter (to the deputy prime minister) and the date as well as the time of the meeting must be jointly agreed upon," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.

During a ceramah (political talk) in the state recently, Abdul Hadi had alleged that the police were involved in vice activities and refused to cooperate with the state government to crackdown o­n such outlets.

This led former Terengganu police chief Othman Talib to lodge a report against the PAS leader and proposed a RM1 million defamation suit against him.

Abdullah had also urged the parliamentary opposition leader to prove his claim and said that the Home Ministry was ready to act against such errant policemen.

Following this, Abdul Hadi said he wanted to meet the deputy premier personally to relay the evidence which he claims to possess. Yesterday Abdullah, who is Home Minister, said he was willing to meet Abdul Hadi if he has additional information regarding the matter.

Full cooperation

Meanwhile, o­n his meeting with officers from the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters at his office yesterday, Abdul Hadi said he had given them full cooperation.

However, he added that his statement could not be recorded as there was inadequate time for him to provide details and furnish proof o­n the matter.

The PAS leader said a later date would be fixed for this.

"Of course I will cooperate but I want to stress that I will not provide all the details to the police as I want to tell o­nly the deputy prime minister," he said.

Asked whether he would give his statement before leaving for his overseas trip, he said he had no intentions of doing so.

Abdul Hadi is scheduled to visit Iran and Dubai as well as attend an international Islamic forum o­n globalisation in Qatar.

He is also scheduled to join a state government investment trip in Qatar after the forum.