Earlier this week, Nik Abduh admitted that Abdul Hadi was the one who gave his ‘blessings’ for him to deny the controversial audio recording. ― Picture by Hari Anggara

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang insisted today he has not listened to the controversial audio recording of Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, in which he allegedly confessed that the Islamist party received money from rival Umno.

When asked whether he would verify the matter, the Marang MP said he is too preoccupied with other matters and does not have time to be bothered with matters that he said is all in the past.

“I have not watched and I have not read the audio,” he told reporters at a Chinese New Year celebration at the Alur Limbat state seat under his federal constituency.

The video of the press conference was provided to the press.

“Whether it is true or not, I have to see first,” he added, before declaring the matter is over since the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has probed the party’s headquarters.

Earlier this week, Nik Abduh admitted that Abdul Hadi was the one who gave his “blessings” for him to deny the controversial audio recording.

Nik Abduh said he had initially wanted to admit the veracity of the recording in which he was said to have confessed that the Islamist party had received millions of ringgit from rival Umno, but realised that it would be used by detractors to destroy PAS.

According to him, several PAS leaders had urged him to deny the matter considering the 14th general election was near and Pakatan Harapan (PH) would use the issue to allegedly slander PAS

Earlier this week, Nik Abduh finally admitted that he was the person in an audio recording critics claim was proof that the party received money from Umno.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan was quoted as saying that Nik Abduh had confessed to saying the things in the recording, but claimed the conversation about the money in the audio was taken out of context.

The man in the audio recording had purportedly discussed receiving RM2 million from Umno, which Sarawak Report (SR) editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown produced as evidence to back her allegation that PAS took RM90 million from then Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Nik Abduh in April last year denied he was the person in the recording, and claimed the audio was fabricated to tarnish his image.