KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — Islamist party PAS said today its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s defamation suit in London against Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown is funded by its members, after the latter questioned its financial source.

In a Sinar Online report, its deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the contribution was a form of responsibility and love towards the party by the members.

"Don’t be afraid where we got our funds, for sure it is not from Umno. We have declared in our programmes, PAS members are obliged to contribute RM5 each,” he reportedly said in a press conference.

"In every programme we launched fundraising, so the money for the suit was from the pockets of PAS members.”

"It is also a sign of anger towards the slander thrown at PAS president,” he added.

Hadi’s suit is over a Sarawak Report article last year claiming that PAS leaders received funds linked to sovereign fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

Hadi is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages and an injunction preventing Rewcastle-Brown from repeating the allegations.

In a statement yesterday, PAS said Hadi had paid a RM80,000 deposit with the London courts through his law firm Carter-Ruck.