Gerakan Youth deputy chief Andy Yong said he believes Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had been "wrongly advised" on 1MDB, leading to the present "brouhaha" over the US civil forfeiture suits.

"There have been many sarcastic reports and statements in the social media on who is the 'Malaysian Official 1' (named in US court documents). I believe the answer is obvious.

"I believe Najib's intention was good, but somehow manipulated by certain people for self-interest.

"Perhaps the PM was also wrongly advised," Yong told Malaysiakini today.

He said the US suit to recover over US$1 billion assets allegedly embezzled from 1MDB "must have some strong grounds and evidence".

"Hence it is high time for the PM to explain openly, who are the culprits that had actually played him out, be it his family members or good friends," said the Gerakan Youth deputy chief.

Kari hot topic

This week the 1MDB scandal returned to the spotlight when the US Department of Justice (DOJ) launched what it touts to be its largest action ever brought under its Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative (Kari).

Through a series of civil forfeiture suits, it seeks to seize over US$1 billion worth of assets that were supposedly the result of criminal proceeds from the embezzlement of over US$3.5 billion from 1MDB.

The suits name Najib's stepson Riza Aziz, Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, better known as 'Jho Low', and Abu Dhabi government officials Khadem Abdulla Al-Qubaisi and Mohammed Ahmed Badawy Al-Husseiny.

It also refers regularly to an unnamed figure 'Malaysian Official 1', whose identity has been hot topic since the news broke.