Ambiga Declines to Comment on Being Named as Source by Sarawak Report

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Former Malaysian Bar president Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan has been named by Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown as the source who had alleged that senior PAS leaders received money from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, The Malaysian Insight reported.

The news portal claimed that through a copy of the Defence and Counterclaim supplied to it, Rewcastle-Brown alleged to have spoken to Ambiga in July last year about Najib, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), and PAS.

“Ambiga had told the defendant that her sources, whom she said were reliable, had estimated the amount that had been paid was around RM90 million,” the report cited Rewcastle-Brown as saying in her Oct 11 court filing.

The Guardian

Rewcastle-Brown’s defence was filed against a defamation suit by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang against her.

Hadi had claimed that he was defamed in a Sarawak Report article titled ‘As Najib denies all over 1MDB let’s not forget his many other criminal connections’, published on Aug 6, 2016.

The article suggested that money was given in return for PAS’ support for Barisan Nasional (BN).

Rewcastle-Brown claimed to have, in good faith, published parts of her conversation with Ambiga as political commentary on an issue of public interest.

The court filing also alleged that, since 2014, Najib had given more than RM200 million to former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa to fund a specific PAS faction.

The article claimed that she had said: “The secret funding continued through 2015 and thereafter, including for the general assembly of June 2015.”

According to the article, her defence also named several PAS leaders who had supposedly procured cars and property, and she had purportedly supplied a list of luxury vehicles bought by them.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Ambiga declined to comment on being identified by the Sarawak Report as the source of its allegation that the prime minister paid PAS leaders millions, the Malay Mail Online reported.

“I am not at liberty to comment on the matter which is before the UK courts,” Ambiga was quoted as saying.