The DAP has accused Prime Minister Najib Razak of "lying" in his claim that DAP said it would never reveal its political funding

"Have we ever said we would refuse to do so?" DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also Penang chief minister, asked at a press conference today

Lim said the DAP had never been approached to reveal its funding details.

"We never refused because we were never approached on this matter. I hate to call the PM a liar, but we were never asked to do so. What he said is not true.

"Who has promised to repeal the Sedition Act three times, but never did? He is not a gentleman," he added.

Lim said this when asked to comment on Najib's challenge to DAP reveal its political funding, saying he was willing to reveal Umno's funding sources if DAP was willing to do so.

Najib had also said that his efforts to legislate transparency in political funding were "shot down by DAP".

Yesterday, BN strategic communication director Abdul Rahman Dahlan said there were many accusations that the opposition parties were getting funds from millionaire George Soros and it was time to reveal their sources.

‘Focus on the 1MDB issue instead’

Asked about this, Lim laughed it off. "How to respond to such an absurd and ridiculous matter? If only it was true we got money from George Sorros...

"This is another lie. So you want us to go down to his level to respond?" he asked. "No. Focus on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd issue instead and don’t get distracted."

Lim said for the DAP, the issue of political funding was a non-issue, noting that the party’s organising secretary Anthony Loke ( photo ) had also dismissed Najib's statement.

Loke, who was in the parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform, said the party had proposed some recommendations for political funding to be more transparent  but it was not taken up by the government.

"We do not want to be distracted from the 1MDB.

"Much as you want me to respond, I do not want to waste time with such efforts to divert attention from 1MDB," said Lim.

"Let's deal with 1MDB first, then we deal with political funding.

"You cannot run, you cannot hide, you cannot cover-up, so focus on 1MDB," Lim told Najib.

"The BN has already raised several issues to divert attention from the issue.There will be many, many more, but we will not be diverted or distracted," he added.

Najib is mulling legal action against The Wall Street Journal for its July 3 report that US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) had been siphoned from 1MDB into his private bank accounts before the 2013 general election.

However, Najib has not denied the movenment of funds into his accounts, but merely said he did not use the money for his personal gain.