DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said 1MDB had become an issue in 2013 and that should have raised suspicion among MCA leaders when then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak offered to fund the party.

Lim said this in response to former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek who said someone receiving money from their father wouldn't question if it was stolen. 

"He should have known. 1MDB was already an issue in 2013.

"Even though he said one would not question where their father's money came from, but if there was suspicion, then they should have asked," he told journalists after an event in Nilai today.

Lim urged all BN component parties which have received money purportedly originating from 1MDB to return the funds.

Chua had in 2015 admitted that when he was MCA president, Najib made an "unprecedented" pledge to fund BN parties for the 2013 general election. 

“I remembered clearly, I was the first to thank him.

“I said that I have joined politics for more than 20 years and gone through five general elections, (we) have never received a single sen from BN before.

“So everyone agreed and many thanked him. When the election came, he delivered - he was able to disburse some funds (to the component parties),” Chua had said.

According to investigations, MCA received at least RM16.5 million from Najib prior to the 2013 general election.

Najib is facing several charges for the alleged misappropriation of funds from 1MDB.