KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak claimed the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government was obsessed with trying to cripple him after he was served a new lawsuit last week over alleged misappropriations related to 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

Najib in a Facebook post this evening questioned the reasoning behind the latest RM96.6 billion civil lawsuit filed against him and 21 others by 1MDB and its former subsidiary SRC International Sdn Bhd.

He noted that this came a week after a court ruled him as not bankrupt despite owing RM1.74 billion in over taxes and penalties.

"I feel the focus of the PN government now is to bankrupt and trouble Najib. (When you) ask them to settle the Covid-19 issue, that is a different story.

"This Emergency was not to curb Covid-19 but maybe to curb Najib,” he wrote in his post.

Najib pointed out how the latest suit against him was a civil matter where even if he loses the case, it is just a fine imposed and not jail time.

"But I find it peculiar how they expect me to pay RM97 billon if they succeed at bankrupting me with a RM1.74 tax penalty that does not make sense.

"If (I am) bankrupt, (do I) still need to pay?” he questioned.

This follows reports that both 1MDB and SRC International are seeking a total of US$23 billion (RM94.43 billion) and another RM300 million against alleged domestic recipients of siphoned funds from both companies and its subsidiaries.

It was reported that 1MDB filed a total of five separate suits on May 8, including against foreign banks Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan and Coutts & Co as well as individuals including Najib, and former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Mohd Irwan Serigar.

Additionally, Najib today in his post also accused the government of being overzealous with such lawsuits saying vengeful politicians in the government need not worry about costly legal fees with all being borne by the regime.

"They can enforce as many cases as they want towards their enemies because the legal costs are paid by the government, not them,” he added.