Harakah hits back at Hasan Ali

(The Star) – PAS organ Harakahdaily has hit back at embattled party leader Datuk Dr Hasan Ali for accusing it of twisting facts when claiming he had apologised to spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat in a recent closed-door meeting.

The publication ran a piece online Thursday carrying a transcript of its interview with Nik Aziz, highlighting excerpts to back an earlier article quoting the Kelantan Mentri Besar as saying that Hasan had apologised to him at the Tuesday night meeting.

Written in Malay and backed by a video clip, the contentious line read: Datuk Hassan Ali menarik balik kenyataan-kenyataan dia yang sensitif. Ini tanda kelelakian dia, anak jantan. Kita buat salah, bila kita sedar buat salah, tarik balik, minta maaf. Ini ajaran agama. Bukan senang manusia buat salah nak tarik balik, bukan senang. Tiba-tiba dia ni tarik balik.

(Datuk Hasan Ali retracted his statements that were sensitive. This is a sign of his manliness, a real man. We make mistakes, and when we realise we make mistakes, we take it back, apologise. This is what religion teaches. It is not easy for people who do wrong to take it back, not easy. Suddenly he took it back.)

Late Wednesday, Hasan issued a statement denying that he had apologised to Nik Aziz at their meeting in Kota Baru, saying he retracted his comments on the party’s welfare state policy and apologised to party leaders during a press conference at his residence on Dec 24.

He said he was disappointed with Harakahdaily for claiming such, adding that he had reminded them “many times” not to twist facts which could create confusion and disunity.

Hasan’s spat with the party organ is the latest to hit the former Selangor Pas commissioner, who has been at loggerheads with party colleagues over the past several weeks for criticising their leadership.

Both he and former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa also got in trouble for pushing for a revival of unity talks with arch-rival Umno.