As Putrajaya comes under fire over claims that more than US$1 billion of 1MDB funds were misappropriated, revealed through a third filing by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), but for Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak, the lawsuit is a form of interference.

This sort of interference, he said, would have been roundly condemned by now opposition strongman Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he as prime minister.

"The problem with the US DOJ's announcement on June, however, plus the first one on July 20, 2016 is that their statement is not confirmed to the subject matter: which is about an alleged crime committed on US soil.

"A large part of the DOJ statement talks about what is happening internally in Malaysia, and an even larger part has no relevance to the subject of whether a crime has been committed on US soil as alleged," he said in a statement.

He said the international community can comment on issues like "human rights practices, civil liberties, child labour, child sex and genocide", but there is a limit.

"Other than that you respect the sovereignty of another country," he said.

The DOJ's third filing is part of its civil forfeiture action to seize assets it said were bought using funds syphoned from 1MDB.

Cabinet rallies behind PM

The assets, including a jet, a luxury yacht and luxury accommodations, some of which belong to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's stepson Riza Aziz, were listed were bought in the US. Some properties, however, are located in the United Kingdom.

Most of the assets were purchased by Jho Low, a Penang-born thirty-something tycoon who played a key role in the formation of 1MDB and whom the DOJ alleged stole the funds from 1MDB. Low maintains the allegations are baseless.

Salleh's statement comes as Najib's cabinet comes to his defence by discrediting the DOJ's allegations in the damning 215-page filing made Thursday.

Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein questioned why no criminal action was taken by the DOJ while Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan challenged the DOJ to reveal the identity of the complainants.

Abdul Rahman, who last year identified MO1 as Najib, said the identity of the complainants would show that the action has a political agenda.

Lawyers of Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor yesterday warned the public that social media and other publications will be closely monitored for defamatory comments against Rosmah.

READ: A Kiniguide on why the DOJ is pursuing a civil, not criminal action