The MACC report comes after DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng urged Hadi to explain the RM1.4 million settlement with Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown in a suit against her.

The suit followed Rewcastle Brown’s claim in 2016 that Umno had allegedly given PAS a bribe of RM90 million to secure the Islamic party’s support in the 14th general election (GE14).

The suit was eventually settled out-of-court, with Hadi reportedly paying Rewcastle Brown RM1.4 million in 2019.

Seri Delima assemblyman Syerleena Rashid filed the report at the MACC headquarters in Penang.

In a press conference at the state DAP headquarters, she said she was told not to reveal the nature or merits of the complaint, and claimed she was questioned by MACC officers for three hours when lodging the report.

Lawyer RSN Rayer, who accompanied her to file the report, hoped that the matter would be probed thoroughly by the authorities.

Syerleena and Rayer, who is Jelutong MP, were also joined by Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh.