Allegations that PAS awarded government reserve land (GRL) in Terengganu to its wealthy cronies when it helmed the state administration are baseless, claimed party vice-president Mustafa Ali.

"The allegations are merely a ploy by the Barisan Nasional government to divert attention from their own unjust action in demolishing houses built on Temporary Occupation Licence land," said the former state exco member when contacted today.

"They are now on the defensive as their own brute actions have been discovered. We know of various cases which illustrate this, including the demolition of 10 houses and a mosque in Kampung Bujal near Kemaman and a house belonging to army personnel in Pengkalan Merbau near Setiu, last Thursday.

"I am ready to refute their allegations and will call for a press conference as soon as the PAS muktamar (annual general assembly) ends (later this week). We will furnish the evidence."

He was responding to an article in today's Utusan Malaysia which quoted Terengganu Menteri Besar Idris Jusoh as saying that PAS had awarded the plots of land meant for the poor to their cronies when it ruled the state from 1999 to 2004.

List of names

Terengganu Umno youth chief Mohd Sabri Ali lambasted PAS' delay in responding to the claims as an example of cowardice.

"They are merely buying time to evade answering to the people who had been promised land under the scheme when they were in control (of the state government). They are not ready to disclose their deplorable actions of collecting (one-off) payments from those who wished to acquire the land, ranging from RM500 to RM1,000.

"We have the list of names and monthly salaries of the land recipients, which include those who earn RM10,000 to RM15,000 per month. How can this be when it is clearly stated that allocation of the GRL is confined to those earning a monthly income of RM700 and below?"

Asked about the demolition of houses and a mosque by the current state authorities, he replied: "The mosque that they claimed we tore down was actually an unofficial PAS 'operations centre' during the last general election.

"By making a hue and cry over it, they are fueling emotions and diverting attention from their own actions. We shall make this issue public soon and shall call for a press conference to reveal their true nature."