The government is not directly involved in the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) lawsuits to seize 1MDB-linked assets.

Therefore, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said believes it is "irrelevant" for the government to be involved, including by sending legal representation for Malaysians named in the suits, Riza Aziz and Jho Low.

"I looked (at the lawsuits), I don't see any 'Government of Malaysia' in there. I don't see (the government) as a party, so I don't think it is relevant for the government to be directly involved," the de factor law minister said.

However, she conceded that the matter is under the purview of the attorney-general.

She was asked if the Attorney-General's Chambers or government will send legal representation for Low or Riza, who is the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's stepson.

Azalina added that the matter is a civil and private matter between the US government and the named parties.

Besides Riza and Jho Low, state-owned firm 1MDB and one  'Malaysia Official 1' was referred to in the civil suit.

Azalina said the state-owned agency named in the suit would need to represent itself.

"I think if the state-owned agency (is named in the suit), then it has to represent itself. I don't know, I am not aware of their (US) process," she added.

Azalina said when agencies under government or state governments are named in any legal suits, it does not directly relate to the federal government.

"The government is only directly related if the government is the defendant, but the government is not the defendant (in this case)," she added.

The DOJ lawsuits is a result of ongoing investigations by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the DOJ as part of the Kleptocracy Assets Recovery Initiative.

Azalina also said she was in the dark as to whether the government has sent senior lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to the US to meet his counterpart on the DOJ's legal suit.

"I can't comment, I won't know, I think you have to call Shafee (himself) and confirm with him because I am not in charge of him," she said.

It was widely speculated in the past weeks that Shafee would go to US to negotiate for non-prosecution following the lawsuit.

She also congratulated the people for having a new law, National Security Council (NSC) Act, which comes into force today.

"Oh yeah, congratulations, we got a new NSC Act," she laughed, when asked to comment on the new act.

The NSC Act allows the prime minister, who is the council chairperson, to declare any area he so chooses as a security area which will suspend civil liberties and allow for special police powers to be administered by the NSC that he appoints.

The administrator and security forces in charge of a security area will also be given wide powers which cannot be legally challenged or questioned, a move that critics say belie Malaysia's status as a democratic country.

All these powers can be exercised without having to consult the Agong, who previously held the sole authority to declare national or state emergencies.

Critics worry that the wide powers granted to the premier may be abused for purposes other than security matters.