DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang will sue over claims he received RM1 billion from former prime minister and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"I have directed my lawyers to take out a test case to sue the media which printed lies and defamatory material about me, like receiving a RM1 billion bribe from Mahathir so that Bersatu could join Pakatan Harapan...," he said in a statement today.

He claimed the payment was also to allow Mahathir to become the Harapan chairperson, for Lim to remain silent on the Bank Negara Malaysia forex scandal, and for Mahathir's son Mukhriz be given a safe parliamentary seat to contest in the next general election.

The claim was first made by Malaysia Today, operated by blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and repeated in a report by Malay daily Utusan Malaysia and online portal Malaysian Digest today...