Penang PKR has submitted a five-point memorandum to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), urging the embattled entity to continue probing the 1MDB scandal.

Its election director Abdul Malik Kassim said it appeared as if MACC has been "pressured", and that there were "hidden hands" interfering in its probe on the real story behind the RM2.6 billion donations which were transfered into Prime Minister Najib Razak's private bank accounts.

Malik said the rakyat viewed the recent arrests of MACC officials - special operations director Bahri Mohamed Zin and deputy prosecutor Ahmad Sazale Abd Khairi - as an attempt to protect the criminals.

"We are sending this memorandum to the MACC to remind them that they need to continue their duties and responsibilities to probe the 1MDB without fear or favour," the Penang executive councillor said in a press conference today.

Malik said MACC must continue to probe the RM2.6 billion in Najib's accounts, and whether the money which were allegedly transfered before the 2013 national polls were used to fund the BN election campaign.

Misappropriated money

The allegations first surfaced in a report in US-based The Wall Street Journal on Jul 3.

Before Najib ( photo ) could initiate legal action against WSJ to dismiss the claim, the MACC surprised the nation on Sunday, saying that the money in the PM's accounts were donations.

Meanwhile, Malik urged MACC to probe other claims surrounding the the debt-laden 1MDB, including allegations that the company had overpaid for an asset purchased from Genting Berhad.

"Also probe claims that Genting Plantations Berhad misappropriated money from its shareholders to donate to Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M), and that the latter allegedly misappropriated money that was supposed to be given to the poor," said the Batu Maung assemblyman.

Malik said MACC can carry out probe on these items as they are clearly offences under the 1954 Election Offences Act.