Pulai polls: Claims regarding alleged RM90mil cost PAS voter support, says candidate

MUAR: Claims of PAS receiving a sum of RM90mil from Umno before the 14th General Election (GE14) caused the party to lose support from voters, says Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya.

The PAS candidate for the Simpang Jeram state seat said that he could feel a significant difference in the acceptance of the people in this by-election compared to GE14.

He said that he had been fielded as the party’s candidate for both the Pulai parliamentary seat and the Simpang Jeram state seat.

“At that time, slander against Datuk Seri Najib Razak was used nationwide to put down Barisan National and Umno. PAS was also dragged into this as there were claims that we received RM90mil from Umno,” he said.

Dr Mohd Mazri added at a ceramah in Sri Tanjong on Tuesday (Aug 29) night that this resulted in PAS losing not only in Johor but in most parts of the country.

“It was not easy for us to move around in GE14 as people will be asking about the RM90mil that was allegedly given to the party,” he said.

“However, the atmosphere has now changed. I can feel that the people of Simpang Jeram are more supportive and accepting of me now,” added Dr Mohd Mazri.

In February 2019, Najib denied giving RM90mil to PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang or the party as claimed in a Sarawak Report article.

Abdul Hadi sued Rewcastle Brown for libel over an article she published on Aug 6, 2016, alleging the party received RM90mil in bribes from Umno.

She filed a counterclaim in October 2017 but on Feb 1, 2019, the case was settled out of court.