KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 ― Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today broke his silence on the rumoured link between him and current Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) chairman Datuk Rameli Musa, alleged to be a PAS funder.
The Port Dickson MP admitted in the Dewan Rakyat today, that the man, accused to have paid RM1.4 million on behalf of the Islamist party to Sarawak Report (SR) editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown, is his friend.
“Though this has no connection, I will entertain, no problem. Rameli Musa is indeed my friend, and he then chose to support PAS, especially the current PAS president.
“That's the fact.However, if I am asked to give an explanation, I will give it because I do not want to use this opportunity to argue with PAS.
“I do not deny who is my friend. Even PAS members now, many are my friends. There is no problem,” Anwar said, midway, while debating the King's address.
He was responding to PAS' Pendang MP Awang Hashim who had interjected and questioned his rumoured link to Rameli, accused to have paid RM1.4 million to Rewcastle-Brown for her legal fees on behalf of the Islamist party, to withdraw the defamation lawsuit brought by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
Hadi had sued Rewcastle-Brown in 2017 over a report the preceding year alleging PAS leaders took RM90 million to support Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) ahead of the 14th general election.
He inexplicably withdrew the lawsuit filed in London, UK, this year, prompting views that he was no longer disputing the accuracy of the report that remains on the SR website.
Earlier this month, Bernama reported that Rameli had given a statement to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), to assist in the ongoing investigation into the allegations that PAS had received RM90 million from Umno.
The MACC has already taken statements from several PAS leaders linked to the case, including the party's Spiritual Leader Datuk Hashim Jasin, secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan and its Central Committee member Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz.
