(Sept 18): Former Umno leader Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan has been barred from leaving Malaysia, after lodging police reports against troubled 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) in several different countries.

Khairuddin told The Malaysian Insider that the police had directed the Immigration Department to prevent him from leaving Malaysia.

"That's right, I've been barred from leaving the country by the Immigration Department on the orders of Bukit Aman," the former Batu Kawan Umno division vice-head said through Whatsapp.

He said he would release a statement this evening on the matter.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Khairuddin's lawyer, Matthias Chang, a former aide of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has also been barred from leaving the country.

Khairuddin, who was sacked from Umno earlier this year for being a bankrupt, lodged reports with Hong Kong, British, and French police over 1MDB in July and August.

He also submitted evidence related to 1MDB to the Swiss attorney-general in Bern, Switzerland, asking the country's authorities to investigate the company's activities involving both Swiss and several international banks.

In their response, Malaysian government officials accused Khairuddin of lodging "false and politically motivated police reports" and that he was pushing the same agenda as Dr Mahathir, who has been insistent in his calls for Najib to step down.

Najib has been under pressure to resign ever since an expose by The Wall Street Journal published on July 2 which revealed that US$700 million (RM2.67 billion) was moved among government agencies, banks and entities linked to 1MDB before finally ending up in the prime minister's personal accounts in five separate deposits. – The Malaysian Insider