The BN Backbencher's Club chief has defended the RM2.6 billion deposited into Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's personal accounts saying Bank Negara and the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) should have been aware.

Shahrir Abdul Samad said this in a brief question and answer piece in Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia , based on questions Akmal Saufi Khaled, son of Johor Menteri Besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin, had earlier posed.

The 15 questions were initially raised by Akmal, who had expressed scepticism with the explanation that the RM2.6 billion was not from state funds but were political donations from the Middle East.

"Surely Bank Negara would have known about the money's movement," said Sharir in response to one of the questions asking if Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz knew about the multibillion ringgit influx into the country.

Likewise, on a similar question on whether LHDN knew, Shahrir also responded in the positive.

However, he admitted the Umno supreme council had no knowledge of the RM2.6 billion but reiterated that this had always been the case when it came to political donations.

"For as long as I have been in the Umno supreme council and state liaison committee, the issue of donations were never raised and revealed to the Umno supreme council or state liaison committee," he said.

He stressed the funds were intended for Umno and BN, adding that investigation had shown the money did not originate from state-owned 1MDB.