Bersatu Youth has shot back at its Umno counterpart for criticising Putrajaya's move to air the Fifa World Cup live over RTM but at the same collecting donations meant to reduce the national debt.

Bersatu Youth exco member Muzzammil Ismail (above) instead questioned why Umno Youth did not kick up a fuss about "donations" and other financial scandals under the previous BN government.

"I see the same people who seemed okay with a RM2.6 billion donation, hundreds of millions losses in NFC, Felda, and the Youth and Sports Ministry now suddenly so worried about the idea of the Hope Fund or RTM showing the World Cup," Muzzammil said in a statement tonight.

The RM2.6 billion donation refers to a US$681 million transfer into former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's personal accounts.

Najib and BN have defended it as a political donation, but others allege it was funds misappropriated from 1MDB.

Muzzammil was responding to Umno Youth information chief Shahril Hamdan who earlier today poked fun at both the Hope Fund and Putrajaya's move to allocate RM40 million to broadcast the World Cup live on free-to-air television.

"You might as well change the name of the fund to 'World Cup Fund'," he had quipped in an Umno Online article.

Multimedia and Communications Minister Gobind Singh Deo earlier today clarified that Putrajaya had secured the World Cup broadcasting rights for just RM30 million and had also secured RM15 million in sponsorship thus far.

The Hope Fund, meanwhile, was set up to facilitate a demand by Malaysians who wanted to help the government reduce federal debt which Putrajaya said was at RM1 trillion.

Muzzammil said the government fund would ensure transparency as well as avoid donors from being scammed.

"Hope Fund donations are just a drop in the ocean for the government. It's not the amount collected that matters, but rather the spirit (in which the donations were made)," he added.