Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had refused to disclose details of the Middle Eastern individual who donated RM2.6 billion even to his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Umno deputy president, who was dropped from the Cabinet last Tuesday, said he confronted Najib on the matter after The Wall Street Journal report on July 3.

"I asked him where the contribution came from, and he (Najib) said 'from the Middle East, but cannot tell the name'," he said in his speech at the Pagoh Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings annual meet in Johor today.

Muhyiddin also claimed that Najib told him that the Middle Eastern donor wanted the RM2.6 billion deposited into the prime minister's personal bank account.

"I asked him (Najib), why did it go into your account? He replied, 'The donor told me to put it in my account,'" he said.

"Do I believe it? Bila orang bagi tau tu percaya je la (When someone tells you something, just believe it)," he added.

Muhyddin said he was only informed about the RM2.6 billion deposit after the WSJ exposed the issue."

After the WSJ incident the party president called me to his office, witnessed by the Umno secretary-general (Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor) and treasurer (Husni Hanadzlah)," he revealed.

It was then that Najib told him the details of the donation which were talked about in the leaked video.

Will not speculate

Muhyiddin also said he did not know what happened to the money in the PM's personal banks accounts after it was closed in 2013, as revealed by the special task force last month.

He said he also did not wish to speculate whether the RM2.6 billion was a donation or some other thing.

However he said that he may be called to face the Umno disciplinary committee for revealing what Najib had told him.

The MACC has said that the money is not linked to state-owned 1MDB.

The commission also said it has interviewed the mystery donor and will now quiz Najib over the donation.

Muhyiddin was denying claims by BN strategic communications chief Abdul Rahman Dahlan that he was aware of the donations since he was the deputy Umno president.

Related reports

Muhyiddin: Donor told PM to put RM2.6b in his account

Court decision brings out clarion call for Bersih 4.0

PKR to lobby Gates, Fortune 500 if local web censored

'No one left to determine Najib's guilt'

This is Malaiseya

Donations? Why netizens are not impressed

The look and feel of a mafia nation

NGO: Stop harassing media over 1MDB reports

The straw that broke the MACC’s back

Perkasa: Reveal ‘hidden hands’ behind MACC raids

MACC director: By God, I'll find the culprits

Muhyiddin's daughter sings to comfort M'sians

Shahidan: Perlis Umno can invite Najib, Muhyiddin

No gov’t should hijack its investigations

PDRM vs MACC - a test of independence for both

So foreign donation now acceptable for Umno

Kit Siang: ‘Pakatan 2.0’ will be ready soon

Tuan Ibrahim: DPM sacking not helping ringgit

We lost our moral compass, not just two jets

Show voters how RM2.6b donation was spent