Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) vice-president Mukhriz Mahathir suggested that the two senior civil servants who were arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) with RM53 million cash should take a leaf out of the prime minister’s book.

In a jibe at Najib Abdul Razak, Mukhriz said the Sabah Water Department officers should have deposited the money in their personal bank accounts and claim it to be an Arab donation.

"There were stacks of money... I think they were not very smart because if they are going to take that much money, they should follow the prime minister's example.

"The prime minister put it in his personal accounts. When people ask where the money come from, just say it's from the Arabs. After all, the Arabs are generous," he told a ceramah in Muar last night where the first Bersatu division was formed for the Pagoh parliamentary constituency with 3,500 members.

The ceramah was broadcast live on Facebook.

Najib had claimed the US$681 million (RM2.6 billion) deposited into his personal bank accounts was a "donation" from a member of the Saudi Arabia royal family.

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali cleared Najib on similar grounds.

He also cleared Najib of receiving funds from Finance Ministry-owned SRC International on grounds that the prime minister did not know about the deposits and possibly thought they were part of the "Arab donation".

However, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in its investigation believed the money originated from Malaysian state investment fund 1MDB.

Najib has repeatedly denied wrongdoing or taking public funds for personal gain.

On Wednesday, the MACC moved in on two senior civil servants who oversaw RM3.3 billion of infrastructure projects, arresting them for corruption and seizing RM114.5 million in assets, including stacks of cash totalling RM53 million.

They were accused of granting lucrative government projects to their families and associates.