(Aug 18): Investigations should be carried out into a Sarawak Report (SR) article which accused Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib of spending US$1 million (RM4 million) in the year following the last general election, DAP's Lim Lip Eng said today.

He said Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should investigate whether the report titled “Hey Big Spender” was fact or fiction.

He said a report has been lodged with MACC for further action.

"I lodged a report based on the article published in Sarawak Report yesterday and I refer to MalaysiaKini's article few days ago where the prime minister himself said he questioned the truth of the article in Sarawak Report. And in the Malaysiakini report, Najib said there must be an investigation," the Segambut MP said, referring to the whistleblower site and the news portal reports.

The SR article claimed that the spending took place in Europe while Najib was on a summer holiday and that the bills were purportedly run up on two credit cards Najib used in August 2014.

In a news article published recently, Najib had questioned the SR allegation against 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

This came just a day after SR claimed that US$650 million of the US$681 million deposited into Najib's personal bank accounts in early 2013 was transferred back overseas, after the 13th general election in May 2013.

Najib urged the public not to believe information published in the social media which he said had changed the legal paradigm that one is innocent until proven guilty.

He said there must be an investigation and proof of an offence before making any conclusions.

Lim said if the SR article against Najib was untrue then action should be taken, but if the investigation proved otherwise, then MACC has to investigate how Najib amassed such a large amount in savings.

"I have checked Najib's latest income. Najib earns RM22,000 as a prime minister and RM16,000 as an MP, which was recently increased. So all in all, about RM60,000, inclusive of all allowances," said Lim.

He said it would take Najib many years to accumulate US$1 million. – The Malaysian Insider