The PAS offensive against the BN candidate in the Tenang by-election continues, with the party digging up more on the past of Umno’s Mohd Azahar Ibrahim as former assistant district officer (ADO).

Following its ‘revelation’ that Mohd Azahar had been negligent and reckless in his duties, to the extent of causing an illegal sale of the land, PAS has now produced court documents to show that he was also sued by the buyer.

NONEYesterday, PAS revealed that Mohd Azahar (right) - who was the Segamat ADO - had caused businessman Mansor Mohamad’s land to be auctioned off, back in 2003, without a proper inquiry.

It was only after a lengthy legal battle that High Court Muar returned the land back to Mansor, with costs, in 2008.

Now, said PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub, one Norhana Mohd Ali, who had bought the 3.24ha land from Mansor for RM70,000, had recently sued Mohd Azahar.

She named Mohd Azahar as the first defendant in a civil suit filed in 2009. Norhana had since 2003 cleared the land and turned it into a palm oil plantation, and had filed a claim for for RM1.5 million in damages and total loss, Salahuddin said.

He said Norhana also named the Segamat District land officer, the Segamat District Land Office and the Johor state government as defendants.

Yesterday, Mohd Azahar dismissed the allegation as ‘manipulation’ and ‘provocation’, saying the matter has been settled in court.

‘Far from settled’

In a press conference at the PAS operations centre in Bandar Labis Tengah, Salahuddin - who is also the MP for Kubang Kerian - blasted Mohd Azahar for saying that the issue had been resolved.

NONE“How can he say that when the court had only set Feb 7, 2011, to hear the matter?

“This clearly shows that the BN candidate is not transparent, not just to the people of Tenang, but also to Umno and the BN,” said Salahuddin (centre in picture on left), stressing that the case was still before the court.

“Faced with the facts that we have provided, we believe that the only way out for the BN candidate is to clear his name.

“If he still has a shred of integrity and dignity, Mohd Azahar should withdraw himself as the BN candidate in the Tenang by-election,” he added.

There are only four more days left to campaign in the straight fight between Mohd Azahar and  Normala Sudirman of PAS. Tenang folk will vote on Sunday.

'We face all kinds of provocation in politics'

Later, when asked about this new revelation by PAS, Mohd Azahar maintained that the case took place when he was a government servant, and that it was now being handled by the state legal adviser.

“That was an administrative issue, when I was in the civil service It has nothing to do (with me as an individual). It is a civil case, not a criminal case,” he told a press conference with Deputy Minister in Prime Minister’s Department, Ahmad Mazlan, at the BN media centre.

“When we enter politics, we’ll face all kinds of provocation, it is nothing.”

Pressed further by reporters on the impending court case, which Salahuddin said was contrary to what he said yesterday, Mohd Azahar appeared uncertain.

“I'm not sure, it involves the administration... it involves the state legal adviser and others. It has nothing to do (with me).”

Ahmad then came to his rescue, explaining that the case was filed against Mohd Azahar in his capacity as an assistant district officer, not as an individual.