The Malaysian Insight

BACHOK MP Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz had wanted to come clean about the audio recording of him talking about money received from Umno.

However, his party leaders, including president Abdul Hadi Awang, told him to deny everything.

The recording made rounds early last year ahead of the general election, and Nik Abduh was heard saying that PAS accepted money from Umno, its traditional political rival.

In a lengthy Facebook post today, Nik Abduh said he had wanted to tell the truth about the recording because lying would be setting a trap for himself.

“Telling the truth will free (me). I was confident that the content of my speech (which was recorded) was simple to understand.

“But I realised that it was not just about my personal good name. I represent PAS in society, and the recording was to tarnish my reputation,” he said.

“When I took the matter to the party leadership, they decided that I should deny it. I fought, but they insisted I should make the denial. Slander must be covered up, they said.

“At the time, the election fever could be felt, and Pakatan Harapan was attacking PAS with all sorts of slander, looking for PAS’ faults.”

Nik Abduh said he approached Hadi for guidance, and the top leader also told him to deny the recording.

He said Hadi gave his blessing to issue a denial immediately, and that he obeyed the president.

“Thankfully, the slander failed to spread. PAS entered the 14th general election and grew stronger in Parliament and state assemblies.”

Previously, Nik Abduh repeatedly denied the recording, calling it “nonsense and slander”.

The issue resurfaced after Hadi settled his London suit against whistle-blower site Sarawak Report, which ran a story in 2016 alleging that PAS had taken money from Umno.

After the out-of-court settlement, a police report was lodged, leading the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Sarawak Report’s claim.

Nik Abduh was among several PAS leaders who had their statements recorded by the anti-graft agency.

He said he was earlier called up by Hadi’s lawyers in the suit as the recording was tendered as evidence by the defence.

He said he explained the issue to the lawyers several months ago and expected the court to reveal the truth, but the case was suddenly settled.

“Before MACC called me up, I was summoned by police a few months ago in Kuala Lumpur to explain the recording.

“What I told the authorities was the same. I admitted that it was my voice in the recording.

“I even told them that I would continue to publicly deny it, to protect the right to secrecy at the time,” he said, adding that the MACC officer he spoke to understood his position.

Yesterday, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan confirmed that the voice in the recording was, in fact, Nik Abduh’s, but that his words were misinterpreted.

Takiyuddin said when Nik Abduh talked about PAS leaders – including his father, the late Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who was the Islamist party’s spiritual leader – accepting money from Umno, what he meant was that they accepted donations from people who happened to be Umno members, and not from the party itself.

“This morning, Hadi also confirmed that it was me in the recording,” said Nik Abduh. – February 13, 2019.