Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak said he is prepared to make a sumpah laknat to deny his alleged involvement in the 1MDB scandal as well.

A sumpah laknat is an oath, beseeching God to curse those who are in the wrong.

His statement comes ahead of a similar oath planned to take place after Friday prayers tomorrow, where Najib would deny the allegations contained in the convicted murderer Azilah Hadri’s statutory declaration.

“Am I prepared to swear a sumpah laknat on the 1MDB case too?

“Yes, but my lawyer said I have already made an oath in this case. That’s why I am still testifying under oath in court while being cross-examined (by the prosecution) and re-examined, unlike a certain future prime minister.

“After the case is finished, I would like to invite (DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang) to the mosque where I would swear a sumpah laknat on 1MDB,” he said in his Facebook post today.

Najib was responding to Lim’s challenge to deny having received kickbacks from several 1MDB bonds, as alleged by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

His reference to a "certain future prime minister" appears to be a jibe at PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, which Pakatan Harapan had touted as a successor to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

During his Sodomy II trial, Anwar had opted to give a statement from the dock instead of testifying under oath.

Meanwhile, Najib suggested that Lim should debate him over a cup of coffee after he makes an oath on 1MDB.

“Lim can wait outside the mosque while I swear my oath.

“After that, I would like to treat Lim to coffee so I can pose questions meant for the debate that Lim ran away from early this year,” he said.

In May, Najib had proposed a debate with Lim, and Lim had accepted and proposed the topic to be “How Malaysia became a global kleptocracy and how we can become a leading nation of integrity”. 

Najib had agreed to the topic but said other topics should be discussed as well.

However, Lim abruptly pulled out of the debate on May 23 citing concerns that the live event could be used to stir up racial sentiments. 

Najib, in turn, claimed Pakatan Harapan had pulled the plug on the event due to fears that Lim could be defeated in the debate.