PAS spiritual leader Haron Din, who had advised Penang CM Lim Guan Eng to 'act like a gentleman' and go on leave as he is facing two corruption charges, was queried why he did not make the same demand on Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Haron drew the ire of former Batu Kawan Umno deputy chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan who told him to also act like a gentleman, and demand that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak take leave, until the air surrounding the 1MDB fiasco and his RM2.6 billion donation, is cleared.

"Why did Haron Din only advise Lim? Why he does not dare to advise Najib to do that if the prime minister is a gentleman?" he said in a statement today.

"Najib, who is surrounded by the world's biggest financial scandal should take a rest until his name is cleared.

"What is his stand on Najib's scandal? Why the silence of Haron Din and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang?" asked the former Umno leader.

Haron had said that a public servant who is faced with serious allegations such as graft and abuse of power, would take leave, as this is the customary in the modern world.

“So as a gentleman, he (Lim) should take leave,” he reportedly told Utusan Malaysia, according to an article published in its weekend edition today.

Khairuddin said he didn't understand their confusing stand on corruption. He added that Haron and Abdul Hadi, as ulama leaders, should not be biased.

“They are quiet on Najib's wrongdoing, what kind of ulama are they?

"Being selective is not allowed in Islam, everything should be based on fact. Ulama must tell the truth, not be biased," he said.

Lim was charged under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 and Section 165 of the Penal Code on Thursday.

He is accused of using his position for gratification in 2014 by approving the re-zoning of land in favour of Magnificent Emblem Sdn Bhd, and knowingly accepting valuables (a bungalow) in exchange for money below its actual value, from someone whom he knows he is likely to have official business with.

Also charged on Thursday was the businessperson and owner of Magnificent Emblem, Phang Li Koon, who is accused of abetting Lim into the second offence by selling him a bungalow last year.

Both have pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

Since then, Lim has been under pressure to step down or take leave, but he said he would leave the decision to his party. DAP’s central executive committee unanimously decided that Lim should stay.

However, his father and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, said he would go on a nationwide tour to find out if Malaysians think Guan Eng should stay or should go.