MACC summons ex-PAS deputy president Nasharuddin and others over 'RM90m'

MACC has summoned current and former PAS leaders for its investigation into the allegation that the Islamist party received RM90 million from Umno.

Former PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa was questioned at the commission's headquarters in Putrajaya today.

Nasharuddin (photo, above) took a different approach from the others investigated by the MACC when he alighted from his car at the guard post to the building's entrance and answered questions from the media.

He was en route for his Friday prayers before returning to MACC to continue with the investigation.

For the record, some prominent figures had in the past managed to escape the media when they used other exits or simply drove past the awaiting media members.

Nasharuddin said he was satisfied with his meeting with the MACC officers and that he had furnished his financial statement to them.

"I am thankful for being given the opportunity to explain to the MACC, together with evidence. I hope other parties who claim to have evidence will also step forward and facilitate the investigation."

Grilled on his source of money

Nasharuddin said among the questions that were asked was his source of money.

"They asked me about my source of income and I answered them. How the money goes in and out, I answered. Everything was also stated in the financial statement.

"God willing, after the Friday prayer, we will resume the meeting just for a little while," he said. 

It is learnt that the statement of former PAS vice-president Husam Musa (photo) would also be recorded to facilitate investigations.

Husam is currently the vice-president of PAS splinter party Amanah and heads the Kelantan Pakatan Harapan chapter.

In Kelantan, Bachok MP and PAS central committee member Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz had been summoned to the state MACC headquarters in Kota Bharu.

The son of former PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who arrived at the MACC office at 10.20am in a black Mercedes Benz, asked media personnel camped outside if the office was open since Friday is a holiday in Kelantan.

Nik Abduh is one of the central figures in the investigation due to an audio recording in which he purportedly talks about receiving RM2 million from Umno.

MACC's investigation into the RM90 million allegation comes in the wake of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's agreement to an out of court settlement of a defamation suit filed in London against Sarawak Report.

The website suggested that the Islamist party received the colossal sum from former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak. Both PAS and Najib have denied the allegation.

Meanwhile, Husam said that MACC has not contacted him over the matter.

Asked whether he would go to the commission's headquarters in Putrajaya, Husam, who is in Kota Bharu, said: "Why should I? Nobody contacted me.”

"I am more than willing to cooperate if summoned. But they (MACC) didn't call me,” he added.

MACC previously confirmed that it had begun an investigation into a claim that Umno paid RM90 million to PAS leaders to secure the Islamist party's support, ahead of the last general election.

This came after the PAS agreed to settle its defamation suit against Sarawak Report, which made the allegation, through a consent order dated Feb 1 at the London High Court of Justice.

PAS has said that it would fully cooperate with the MACC in the matter. 

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