BANGI: Former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM)'s founding member Anina Saadudin has filed a defamation suit against six party members over allegation that she received RM7 million from Umno.
The six include four top leadership from Langkawi who were personally appointed by the party's chairman, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.
"I am very unhappy with the malicious remarks by them through Facebook, which has effected my credibility as a young politician and my livelihood. Thus I decided that this is the only way for me to clear my name and prove that I did not receive any money from any party," she said.
She said the suit was over a false allegation made by the six against her, claiming she had received RM7million from Umno to join the party in June.
"The accusation was posted on Facebook and other social platforms during Ramadan. I waited till after Syawal to consider legal action and gave ample time for them to apologise and retract their accusation but they did not bother. I brought the matter up with the party's leadership but nothing happened.
"It was only after that I considered taking the matter up with the party's disciplinary board, police, multimedia and communication commission as well as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission," she told reporters at her house in Bandar Baru Bangi today.
She said the defamation suit was filed through her lawyer from Tetuan Abdul Aziz & Yazmin yesterday at Shah Alam High Court.
Anina said prior to yesterday's decision, her lawyers had issued notices to all six of them, among others, requesting for an apology in August, which went unanswered.
The six, she said, did not include Dr Mahathir, who's also the head of Langkawi division..
"The party's leadership and diciplinary board's failure to come to my defence following the accusations only made me lose confidence in the party and its leadership," said Anina who quit PPBM on Sept 16.
Anina said she could not reveal the identities of the six, on her lawyers advice, since the writ may not have reached all of them.
She also expressed disappointment against PPBM Armada chief, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman for his irresponsible statement on Oct 2 which implicated her to be one of those who was supposedly paid off by Umno to leave the party.
"It’s very irresponsible of him to do such a thing. He claimed to have proof and I dont know what kind of proof he is talking about but if he really has evidence that I received the RM7million, then he should use it to help or defend the six people I am taking to court," she said.
She said the quantum she was demanding in her suit was based on each individual’s position in the party.
She said it was sad to see that because of certain unscrupulous members and the PPBM administration, the good name of those within the party was jeopardised and tarnished.
Anina said she intended to set up her own NGO soon championing the Malay community's economic position, including bankrupcy issues related to young Malays in the country.