Zaharudin Muhammad, whose claim of a “dedak cartel” within PAS triggered a gag order yesterday, has pledged to continue speaking out if the Islamist party sweeps the issue under the carpet.
The Sungai Buloh PAS chief and son-in-law of party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said he will not stay silent until action is taken even if it done internally, Sinar Harian reported today.
“May it be resolved behind closed doors. But if there are efforts to sweep it under the carpet, Insya Allah I will fight,” he was quoted as saying.
Dedak in colloquial Malay refers to bribery.
Zaharudin also said he will write about integrity and money politics without touching on party issues and matters not permitted by PAS.
“Sorry to everyone, especially the top party leadership and the machinery, including cybertroopers.
“Hope God will show what is true as the truth, and what is false as untrue. Let us follow what is true and stay away from all that is false,” he wrote in his latest post.
Earlier, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan ordered a gag order to bar party members from discussing PAS matters with the public and on social media.
Zaharudin also requested the PAS disciplinary committee to fix negative perceptions of him which he considers to be defamatory.
“Please correct the perceptions which claim PAS, Abdul Hadi, and the Majlis Syura Ulamak agreed to take dedak. Such slander says I opposed Tok Guru since he agrees with dedak and I oppose it,” he told the Malay daily.
He also said he was accused of handing over a recording of PAS central committee member and Bachok MP Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, who had allegedly spread rumours of a bribery cartel to whistleblower website Sarawak Report.
Zaharudin has been accused of leaking Nik Abduh’s audio recording on PAS receiving Umno money.
He attracted controversy after he claimed there was a dedak cartel or group within the Islamist party, which took money from Umno.
He warned that taking money from Umno could cause PAS to become entangled with ongoing money laundering investigations against the former.
Without naming the corrupt persons in a post on Saturday, he listed the five individuals as “Dr Hussam II”, “Mr NT”, “Mr KT”, “Mr KH” and “everyone knows”.
The claim is widely believed to be linked to an audio recording involving Bachok MP Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz talking about Umno’s funding of PAS.
Zaharudin had also hinted that he was ready to reveal the evidence in his possession to counter Nik Abduh’s earlier denial on the matter.
After his controversial claims, Hadi denied that he had consented to his son-in-law’s expose on Facebook.
Takiyuddin Hassan said yesterday that Zaharudin would be called in to provide an explanation about his claim.
Earlier reports:
May 14, Hadi: I Did Not Give Son-in-Law My Blessing to Expose ‘Dedak Cartel’
May 13, Hadi’s Son-in-Law on Why He Named PAS ‘Dedak Cartel’