Attacks on Ambiga and Clare diversionary tactic, claims Zaid

Zaid Ibrahim has claimed that the attacks on former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan and Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown are an attempt to divert attention.

"(This is) because PAS is losing support rapidly and this is not what Umno bargained for in their plans to work together in the coming election," he said in a Facebook posting.

The former law minister was commenting on the responses to Rewcastle-Brown naming Ambiga as her source with regard to an article which suggested PAS received about RM90 million from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The London-based editor mentioned this in her Oct 11 defence statement with regard to a defamation suit filed against her in the UK by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

Ambiga has declined to comment on the grounds that it involves an ongoing court case but several PAS leaders, as well as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan, have pressed her for a response, including to reveal her sources.

"The current legal tussle in the UK is between Rewcastle-Brown and Hadi.

"If you don't already know this, you would think it is Clare and Ambiga versus Abdul Rahman and Umno bloggers, judging by the news on internet.

"What is Umno's interest in this case?" he asked, pointing to Abdul Rahman's "vigour" in attacking Ambiga over this issue, which the former minister described as "strange".

Zaid also claimed Ambiga was not the only person who has been informed about the purported wealth of PAS leaders.

"I too have friends who have shown me photographs...," he said.

Rewcastle-Brown had claimed Ambiga told her of Najib's relationship with PAS, including the alleged financial arrangements between the two parties, and the motivations behind it.

"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 court document stated.- Mkini