The 1MDB Foundation will sponsor village chiefs who have not performed the haj to do their pilgrimage in Makkah, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said.

"We will pay for all the expenses and also give them a stipend," he said to thunderous applause.

Najib, who is also Umno president, said this in his speech at an empowerment seminar for village chiefs at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) today.

This was not the first time the 1MDB Foundation had sponsored pilgrimages.

In February, three months before the Sarawak election, Najib announced the foundation would sponsor 150 imams and Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) chiefs from the state to perform the haj.

The annual pilgrimage sponsorship by 1MDB foundation began in 2011, with the first batch involving 111 pilgrims.

This was increased to 800 people in 2013, followed by 1,000 people in 2014 and 1,200 people in 2015.

The government had often used these sponsorships to defend 1MDB which was embroiled in global money-laundering investigations.

The US Department of Justice in its investigation claimed at least US$3.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB and laundered through the US financial system.

A separate investigation by Swiss authorities put the misappropriated figure at around US$4 billion.

Najib, who previously served as 1MDB's board of advisers chairperson, had also denied wrongdoing or taking public funds for personal gain.