The head of a GLC implicated in PAS' alleged RM1.4 million payment to Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown is not PKR president Anwar Ibrahim's “best friend”.

In a Facebook posting today, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli poured scorn on PAS supporters who attempted to link the individual to Anwar.

The GLC boss is said to have banked in the amount as part of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's out-of-court settlement with Rewcastle-Brown over a defamation suit.

Rafizi accused PAS supporters of attempting to create the impression that Hadi was being framed.

He claimed that it is Hadi's family who was close to the individual and also published a photograph of the PAS president with the GLC boss.

"It is widely known he had given financial contributions to PAS," he said, adding that the man, a former Abim activist, was never involved in PKR's activities nor was he an Anwar supporter.

Hadi had sued Rewcastle-Brown in London over a 2016 Sarawak Report article which alleged that then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak channelled RM90 million to top PAS leaders in a bid to secure their support ahead of the 14th general election.

However, both parties had reached an out-of-court settlement.

Yesterday, Rewcastle-Brown confirmed that Hadi had paid RM1.4 million through her Malaysian lawyer Americk Sidhu.

Following this, PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan claimed that the account number, which Rewcastle-Brown had claimed to receive the payment from, was fake.

However, Rafizi later revealed that the 10 digits were part of a 14-digit Bank Islam account number belonging to the GLC boss.

Malaysiakini has been unable to reach the GLC boss for comment.

The individual became the head of the GLC on Feb 4, four days after the cheque was made out on Jan 31.

Meanwhile, Rafizi, in his Facebook posting, claimed that the GLC boss had been promoting the idea of a unity government between Umno and PAS as far back as 2008.

Saying that there was nothing wrong with Hadi and the man having a close relationship, Rafizi remarked tongue-in-cheek that he is not surprised that the latter was willing to fork out RM1.4 million to save his best friend's image.

"It is wrong when PAS tries to spin the issue and does not correct its staunch supporters who are defaming the man who had contributed so much to PAS all this while,” he added.

As for the person being a GLC head, Rafizi said there is nothing strange about this as the Pakatan Harapan government is professional and does not hold his close ties with Hadi against him.

He also pointed out that Hadi has yet to respond to the issue.