PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli has weighed in on what he described as the "latest twist" to the 1MDB saga, which is "thou shalt not believe news brought by infidels."

Responding to an academic who cautioned Muslims regarding information from such sources, he noted that it was Anwar Ibrahim who was among the first at the scene.

"If some quarters are too allergic to news from non-Muslims, they should have realised that the uncovering of the 1MDB scandal began here by a well-known Muslim – Anwar himself.

"I was his officer in 2011 and responsible for preparing his speech. He was concerned about 1MDB since the beginning of 2011 and did express his concern in Parliament.

"At about the same time or earlier (DAP lawmaker) Tony Pua was already working on it. I began to look at it in mid-2011 when KWAP (Retirement Fund Inc) gave the RM4 billion loan to SRC (International).

"Basically the news of the 1MDB scandal did originate from a Muslim and had gone one full circle," he told Malaysiakini.

The PKR leader said it is degrading when people resort to using one Quranic verse taken completely out of context and in isolation of other verses in order to bury the 1MDB issue.

"The misappropriation of the public funds through 1MDB is even clearer than the clearest crystal. The amount of documentary evidence from the four corners of the universe is more than adequate to meet the standards set in Islamic jurisprudence tradition.

"As much as I can be as pedantic as the detractors who are hell-bent on burying 1MDB news, I feel sad that sometimes we Muslims spend too much time arguing on the smallest of the details in order to avoid discussing the most important principles: that of right and wrong, justice and accountability," he added.

Rafizi said that in the Al-Baqarah chapter, verse 188, the condemnation against corruption is clear:

And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful].

This verse, he added, was a clear reminder against corruption and a specific mention of rulers i.e. people in power.

"The misery that 1MDB will inflict on future generation cannot be estimated now. Those who are in a position to put it right but choose to remain silent will have to answer in the life thereafter.

"That to me is more pertinent for the Malay elites to answer given that the evidence against 1MDB and (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) is too clear," he added.

Speaking to Umno Online yesterday, Prof Hanafiah Harun noted how the Quran cautioned Muslims against information from those considered 'fasik' or untrustworthy.

"On issues relating to the national leadership, it (the information) is based not only on those who are fasik, but they are kafir (infidels) as well.

"If we must investigate information from people who are fasik, what more news and information from infidels," he had said in relation to the United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ) suits related to 1MDB.

The DOJ court filings sought to seize assets which it claimed were procured with funds misappropriated from 1MDB.

Najib has denied abusing public funds for personal gain and blamed such allegations on those who are conspiring to topple him from power.

Attorney-general Mohamad Apandi Ali has also cleared him of any wrongdoing.