The is the first of a two-part exclusive interview with the prime minister's political secretary and senator Wan Farid Wan Salleh.

Malaysiakini: On allegations, allegations by PAS that you were behind the riot...

Wan Farid: Am I going to dignify rubbish by responding to it?

It's quite widespread the way they have been saying...

Yeah, it's quite widespread. What do you want me to say? If I were to deny, they'd (PAS) say it's a denial. You see when you say something about somebody, you make an allegation against somebody, you expect him to respond to that allegation.

But if you just say that this guy so and so and this guy did this and that, without any further details, how can I respond?

I read your coverage on that. You were covering this PC (PAS' press conference where allegations of agent provocateurs were first mentioned).

In the article, you placed [heading]: Was a political secretary involved? And you placed a question mark. The fact that you used a question mark meant that you yourself are not sure.

I can respond to this. I can offer an alibi. But this kind of allegation, I would not stoop so low as to respond to it. I have never taken Mustafa Ali seriously anyway.

During the press conference, he denied knowing any incident because he was not there, when at the same time we have photos of him together with the FRU (Federal Reserve Unit). So you want me to respond to such things.

Why do you think the gathering turned out the way it did?

Because people don't respect the law. You see you make an application to the police. The fact that you made the application for the permit, means that you recognise the powers that be, you recognise the authority.

So if you recognise the authority and the authority has made the decision not to issue the permit, you have to respect that decision.

What happened was the application was made on August 31. But before it was deliberated, banners were up, a stage was constructed, which gives the impression that with or without the permit, it (the ceramah ) would continue.

So if they were to respect the law, things would not have happened the way it happened.

In your position as Umno division chief and political secretary to the Prime Minister, you could have interfered...

I did not interfere at all. In fact, I don't know that a permit application was made. I didn't know a ceramah was held until after the incident.

Does that mean you have never interfered in these matters?

It is wrong to interfere because the police have their own criteria on how a permit is approved. I don't know the criteria. For me to get involved, with PDRM (the police), it is something that is not logical. It is something that couldn't be done, because they have their own criteria on giving permits.

Umno's applications for permits were also known to be rejected.

Everyone can check with IPD (the district police headquarters), if I had made telephone calls to OCPD (district police chief) or CPO (police chief) ordering the permit to be cancelled.

(PAS president) Hadi Awang said Umno's involvement in the rioting was from the lowest to the highest levels. He claimed that as the riot was petering out, PAS members saw you at an eatery nearby. He's confident that Umno was behind the riot.

It is so shallow to think in that manner, to say that because I was in an eatery, therefore I was involved in the planning.

If you say to people that because I was at an eatery three kilometres from the incident is proof that I planned it all, I think on basis of a reasonable capacity to think and reason, that is just very shallow.

I don't deny that I was in the eatery that night because I chaired a meeting for Wakaf Mempelam (state seat) at the Umno Gong Kapas building. You can even go to the place (eatery) by foot.

I was there (eatery) together with those who attended the meeting. I spent an hour there. I greeted a former PAS elected representative. He never uttered a word to anyone (about meeting me).

I did not learn the level of rioting until later. If drinking coffee with members of the meeting is evidence or meant that I planned the riot, itu cukup hebat lah (that's just fantastic!).

What we see is that those who were arrested and detained for transgressions are those who are linked with PAS.

One of them is the son of a former PAS candidate. In the newspaper, Mustafa Ali said two days ago that the party would provide legal service (to those charged). That means they are PAS' men.

On the allegations that it was the police who had burnt the flag, if this was the real situation, then why is PAS sending lawyers to defend those who have committed the crime?

The fact that PAS is willing to defend those who have broken the law means that PAS is behind it in the first place.

How could I plan [the rioting] so that PAS members do this and that? That is beyond the wildest [stretch] of any imagination.

In (response) these allegations against you, you said there is no political interference, even those who are closest to the police. We were told by (Terengganu police chief Ayub Yaakub) there was no influence. But the area is not known for such an incident...

I was not even in Kuala Terengganu when the permit was applied, when it was turned down. I didn't know, I wasn't there.

He (Ayub) said he did not receive any orders from Wan Farid. I don't know how to explain myself away. Accusations do not require evidence. If you go to court. You tell the judge I have evidence, but the judge keeps asking what are your evidence, but you don't show. You cannot proceed like this.

It's hard for me to respond to allegations where there is no basis for the allegations. Even if I deny it, they would take it as a denial. Because PAS has selective memory. They can remember things they want to remember. They forget things they want to forget.

I think PAS is always fighting Umno, in whatever they do, which is why when Anwar attacked Umno, they came together with him. They began calling him Mahafiraun (the great pharaoh), not just firaun , but Mahafiraun.

Today, suddenly, he is a hero just because the person criticised the party leadership.

Their criteria is not for the truth or any struggle. Their criteria is, anything that is against Umno, they would support.

Wan Farid to PAS: I don't dignify rubbish

SPECIAL REPORT: The anatomy of a riot