1MDB has been a hot topic for opposition lawmakers during Dewan Rakyat sittings since 2013, except for PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, according to PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.

Rafizi said he went through the Dewan Rakyat records and established that the number of times Hadi mentioned "1MDB" amounted to a grand total of just one.

"Since June 2013 until now, (records) show that he appears to be avoiding the 1MDB issue.

"The Marang MP only mentioned '1MDB' once, although (the issue) has been the source of Malaysia's problems since 2011," he added in a statement today.

Rafizi claimed that with Hadi's disinterest in the issue, which is tied to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Umno is increasingly confident of winning the forthcoming general election, although the party was led by an "unpopular figure".

Umno's hold on PAS

According to Rafizi's research, Hadi addressed the Dewan Rakyat 26 times since June 2013 and mentioned 1MDB during the debate on Budget 2016.

The Hansard records Hadi mentioning 1MDB in passing, comparing it with other alleged financial wrongdoings such as the Bank Bumiputera Finance Malaysia, Perwaja Steel and Maika Holdings scandals.

Rafizi had previously claimed that 1MDB funds had made the way to an individual who was close to PAS and that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was aware of this. PAS leaders have denied such claims. 

Today, he said that he was still keeping a lid on the identity of the said individual and that this information would prove how Umno had a "hold" on PAS.

"This strategy to 'hold' PAS is also a plot to keep Najib as Umno president because Umno division leaders look forward to three-cornered fights.

"They believe this will bring them victory as they are currently not popular (with voters). To them, an Umno leader who can feed them is the leader that should be kept," he said.

'Arrest me if I took RM20 million'

Rafizi said Najib helped facilitate the tabling of Hadi's motion on the proposal to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 as part of the attempt to "hold" PAS.

"That is Najib's goal: That PAS does not focus on bigger issues that affect the public, which is the 1MDB scandal and its effects on the economy, by turning PAS into a single issue party," he added.

Rafizi also denied the allegation by blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin that he (Rafizi) had received RM20 million from businessman John Soh.

He said that he had been declaring his assets every year and it would show that his savings were dwindling. He added that he would be making a statutory declaration to deny having received such funds.

"If my statutory declaration is untrue, the authorities can arrest and charge me under the Statutory Declarations Act 1960," Rafizi added.