Kit Siang says PAS wanted Ku Li and not Anwar as PM

(FMT) – DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang today responded to Abdul Hadi Awang over claims that the PAS president had approached the DAP leadership for a change in prime ministerial candidate before the 13th general election.

Continuing the war of words which began last night, Lim said it was true that Hadi had never declared himself the prime minister-designate, nor had PAS nominated him for the position.

“PAS leaders were quite astute as not to suggest themselves that Hadi should be the prime ministerial candidate for Pakatan Rakyat.

“(They) diplomatically suggested that their proposal for a suitable prime ministerial candidate was veteran Umno politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah,” he said in a statement.

But while Hadi denied directly lobbying for the post of prime minister, he said, the PAS president had not denied that leaders from his party approached DAP for a change in prime ministerial candidate on the grounds that Anwar Ibrahim was not suitable.

“When DAP leaders dissented and held to our view that Anwar should continue to be the prime ministerial candidate for Pakatan Rakyat, and we made no suggestion that Hadi should instead be considered, the PAS leaders knew that DAP would not support Hadi as the prime minister-designate, and the proposal to replace Anwar was not further pursued.”

Yesterday, Lim said Hadi through the PAS leadership had approached him before the 2013 election to broach the subject of the prime ministerial candidate.

“The reason why Hadi and other PAS leaders are telling lies about DAP being anti-Malay and anti-Islam was because DAP refused to support Hadi as the prime minister candidate for Pakatan Rakyat in the 13th general election in 2013,” he said in a statement.

Hadi hit back this morning, saying PAS had never put him forward as a candidate for prime minister or prime minister-in-waiting.

“Maybe Lim’s memory is better, or his assumptions are bigger,” he said in a Facebook post.