EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article cites Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman's response to an article which appeared on Sinar Harian. Sinar Harian has amended the article and expressed regret for errors in the article. 

Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has questioned PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's statement that the Islamist-party has taken a neutral position on the 1MDB issue.

In a statement, Syed Saddiq claimed PAS had in the past passed guilty judgments against Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the forex scandal issue; Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on the undersea tunnel issue; and Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali on the Ijok land scandal issue.

"Where did PAS' neutral position go?

"Where is the Islamic struggle championed by the party led by Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang?" Syed Saddiq asked in reference to Hadi's reported remarks yesterday during a Gagasan Sejahtera forum in Shah Alam.

Syed Saddiq cited Hadi's remarks that PAS believes in the culture of not immediately passing judgment on individuals involved in alleged wrongdoings in the management of 1MDB, and as such it had chosen to remain neutral.

"If we are to go by Hadi's arguments, we have to wait until an allegation or claim is proven to be true before passing judgment.

"But the history of PAS' stand has proven otherwise," said Syed Saddiq who also cited a saying of the Prophet Muhammad SAW that he would even punish his own daughter if she was caught for theft.

Contrary to teachings of the Prophet on the need for a fair and just investigation, Syed Saddiq said PAS' neutral position has failed to consider alleged shortcomings in the investigations surrounding 1MDB in Malaysia.

"It is regrettable we receive news that PAS will take a neutral position on the 1MDB issue.

"The excuse: that there have supposedly been no evidence or facts to prove the claims," said Syed Saddiq who then pointed to other ongoing investigations in multiple foreign jurisdictions.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) believes that at least US$4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB and laundered through global financial systems, including that of the US.

The DOJ is seeking to seize US$1.7 billion in assets allegedly acquired using the stolen funds.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who was the chairperson of the 1MDB advisory board, had denied any wrongdoing.

Najib had also reiterated that nothing in the Public Accounts Committee's (PAC) report on 1MDB had stated that he had stolen any money.