Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has dismissed as fitnah (slander) the question by Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar on whether he was having health problems that are affecting his ability to comprehend.

Ahmad is the political secretary to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, who has been at loggerheads with DAP since he tabled a private members bill on hudud in Parliament last year.

Lim described Ahmad's remarks about his health as 'lies and slander' and an attempt to divert from the real issue concerning Hadi's support for Najib.

"Seeing this type of response make us realise that we made the right decision in saying that Pakatan Rakyat no longer exists when PAS cut ties with us," Lim told Malaysiakini.

"We made the right decision in saying we want to have nothing to do with PAS anymore," he added.

Lim was referring to the decision by the PAS 61st muktamar in Selangor in early June to sever all ties with DAP.

Ahmad was responding to Lim who had asked if Abdul Hadi was prepared to apologise for defending Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak after it was revealed that RM2.6 billion had indeed been deposited into the premier's personal bank accounts.

Ahmad's comment appeared in an article on Thursday on PAS' official website and was entitled 'Apa yang LGE mahu' (What does Lim Guan Eng wants) in which Ahmad lamented Lim's supposed inability to understand Abdul Hadi's statements.

Lim said the real issue was Hadi's defence of Najib despite the revelation of RM2.6 billion in his private bank accounts.

The allegations first surfaced in a July 3 report in The Wall Street Journal which said companies  linked to the state-owned  1MDB  had deposited the money before the 2013 national polls.

This week, the MACC confirmed the money deposited but said it was a donation  from an anonymous Middle Eastern donor.

'Donation now is dirty word'

Lim asked if Hadi would continue to say that there must be witnesses to the claims despite the revelation and that Najib is still deemed innocent.

He insisted that Hadi must withdraw his statement and apologise for saying that like the sodomy case of former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, there must be witnesses to prove the allegations against Najib.

"Now the political situation is very clear. Those who are against the 1MDB are parties like DAP, PKR and Gerakan Harapan Bar while those defending it are Umno, PAS and BN," Lim said.

"Now they slander me about my health [...] is this the standard of PAS leaders now? As a Muslim you cannot slander like that or distort and twist your words," Lim noted.

"How can you say Najib should not step down as PM? He has given the word donation a bad name," Lim said.

"Now in charity and fundraising functions we substitute the word donation with contribution. Najib has made donation a dirty word," Lim quipped.

DAP had rapped Abdul Hadi who on May 12 had said there was no necessity for Najib to resign as prime minister over the 1MDB scandal because the country practised democracy and Najib could be removed in a general election.

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