DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang claimed that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang wanted to become the prime minister-designate as Pakatan Rakyat headed for the general election in 2013.

Hence, when DAP and PKR would not endorse this, it came as no surprise that Hadi would side with Umno even if it means turning a blind eye to Umno president Najib Abdul Razak’s alleged wrongdoings, he said.

“He had no use for Pakatan Rakyat and decided on a new political course for PAS led by him, acting as ‘adviser’ to the Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak – even when this required him to be blind to Najib’s two global scandals – the RM55 billion 1MDB and RM4.2 billion ‘donation’ twin mega financial scandals.

“Under the circumstances, it did not come as a surprise that Hadi was unmoved and not interested to rock Najib’s boat although former prime minister (Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad) met him three months ago to explain about Najib’s ‘wrongdoings’,” Lim said in a statement today.

The Pakatan Rakyat coalition fell apart in June last year, after a falling-out between DAP and PAS over the hudud issue.

As for Najib, he has consistently denied wrongdoing and attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali had decided not to press charges against him.

Lim's statement refers to Mahathir’s disclosure yesterday that he had met Hadi about Najib’s alleged wrongdoings but said the latter only saw dedak (animal feed).

Bernama had also quoted Hadi as admitting that he had met Mahathir, but said he turned down Mahathir’s plan to topple Najib because he believed it to be not beneficial to his party.

“PAS does not oppose any individual... does not oppose a person but (oppose) the concept and policy. If a person is changed but the policy and approach are the same, nothing has changed,” he was quoted as saying.

He also reportedly countered allegations that he ‘ate’ Najib’s dedak by asking who started the practice, and said PAS is able to continue with its struggles because it is free from money politics.

Lim said Hadi’s explanation was baffling as it would appear that what he was doing was to oppose Umno and BN but support Najib, while preaching the opposite.

“Malaysians can understand that it is not enough to change the prime minister without institutional and systemic changes, but Hadi is advocating the defence of Najib as prime minister on the grounds that Najib’s government policy and system has not changed.

“I am not the only (one) who could not understand what Hadi is advocating, but I believe that the overwhelming majority of PAS members do not understand as well,” he said.