KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang today ramped up the heat on PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, claiming that he was not trustworthy.

The Iskandar Puteri MP’s remark comes on the heels of Hadi’s denial earlier today of ever demanding to become the prime ministerial candidate in the 13th general election as Lim had claimed yesterday.

Lim, in a statement today, accused Hadi of “having a very serious character flaw” as a politician, unlike two former presidents of the party, Datuk Fadzil Noor and Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

He said this was why DAP could not accept him as candidate for prime minister, but would throw its full support behind Fadzil and Nik.

“Hadi himself should know the reasons. It boils down to trust — DAP leaders can trust Fadzil Noor and Nik Aziz to keep to their word but not Hadi Awang,” Lim said.

He also admitted that while PAS never nominated Hadi for the post in the previous general election, the Islamist party had tested the waters by gauging support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“I agree with Hadi. PAS had never nominated him to be prime minister for the 13th general election, nor did he declare himself to be prime minister-designate.

“Why? Because PAS leaders at the time had tested the waters to change Anwar as the prime minister-designate, and found that DAP was consistent in our stand that the prime minister-designate be Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and any attempt to propose Hadi as replacement for Anwar would not get the support from DAP as well as PKR,” the Iskandar Puteri MP said.

In a brief Facebook post earlier, Abdul Hadi accused Lim of assuming too much, after the latter’s initial allegation towards him.

“As far as I remember, PAS has never nominated me to become prime minister, or label me a prime minister-in-waiting,” Abdul Hadi wrote, in reference to Anwar’s status as the next in line.

“Maybe Lim has a better memory, or an inflated assumption,” he added.

Lim’s remarks were in response to PAS and Hadi, who recently ramped up accusations of DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH) being anti-Malay and anti-Islam.