Former Bukit Besi PKR candidate Mohd Shamsul Mat Amin says he and two other former PKR candidates from Terengganu - Mohamed Abdul Ghani Ibrahim (Kota Putera) and Ahmad Nazri Mohd Yusof (Seberang Takir) - will sue PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for defamation.

This is over Hadi's comments in April as to why PAS was fielding its own candidates against its ally PKR in seven seats for the May 5 general election, including against the trio.

Hadi had said PKR’s candidates were feared to be selling methamphetamine , or displaying portraits of communist leaders in their headquarters.

NONE "As a result of his speech, I am constantly ostracised and ridiculed by my fellow villagers.

"It has damaged my reputation. My family and my party are tainted, and my business is indirectly affected," Shamsul ( left ) said, reading out from his police report between sobs.

He was speaking to reporters at a press conference held at a hotel lobby in Kuala Besut today.

Although Hadi did not name any person, Yehye Zakaria, who served as PKR’s Terengganu election director at the time, said the statement was often understood to refer to Shamsul because it was made in Terengganu.

Of the three PKR Terengganu candidates facing-off, the 28-year-old Shamsul is the youngest, leading many to believe he was the one peddling methamphetamine, Yehye said.

NONE Asked how he intends to proceed with the defamation suit since Hadi ( right ) did not specifically refer to any of the three candidates, Shamsul said he would only answer the matter in court.

To another question about his choice of timing and his reason for holding the press conference in Kuala Besut, Shamsul said that until recently, he thought he could handle the ridicule.

He also said he wanted to take advantage of the large media presence in Kuala Besut, but denied that he was under the influence of any third party.

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