KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today accused former ally Datuk Seri Najib Razak of "tainting” the Dewan Rakyat by lying about 1MDB’s debt, a verbal jab made just hours after the latter had taunted and challenged him to a public debate.

Muhyiddin said Najib had misled the House when he said Putrajaya has not used "a single sen” of public monies to repay the principal debt accrued by the state investment firm, which Najib is accused of embezzling alongside other accomplices.

"On March 2, Pekan had tainted the House regarding the debt of 1MDB. He had claimed that 1MDB debt had not been paid by public funds. This is a false statement and had misled the members of the house,” Muhyiddin said when debating the Agong’s Parliamentary opening speech this evening.

"I am baffled that he, as a former finance minister, forgot that 1MDB’s debt is guaranteed by the government. So when 1MDB failed to pay the debt including interests that totalled more than RM50 billion, it is the government that is forced to repay them,” he added.

Muhyiddin then suggested that Najib would have continued to cover up the affair if he is still the prime minister because he was a part of the network of people that embezzled public money meant for investments to fund a lavish lifestyle, including to buy luxury homes and a yacht.

The Pagoh MP called them "the plundering idiots”.

"Imagine if Pekan is still the prime minister. I don’t think he would have established a task force to recoup the funds because it was him that made the monies and assets disappear in the first place,” Muhyiddin said.

"So it is true that Pekan is a clever person. He is clever at lying,” he added.

Najib had challenged Muhyiddin to debate on issues involving the Federal Land Development Authority this morning, a tit-for-tat that started after International Trade and Industries Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali first made the dare.

Najib, in a video uploaded to his Facebook page, said International Trade and Industries Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali can be Muhyiddin’s assistant during the debate since both of them are from Perikatan Nasional.

Mohamed Azmin had said during a political speech yesterday that the mismanagement of Felda under Najib must be revealed and informed to settlers to allow the opportunity for PN to continue upholding the agency and its future.

Najib had been convicted of multiple charges of money laundering, corruption and power abuse relating to RM42 million of SRC International money that was siphoned into his account.

SRC International is a subsidiary of 1MDB. Najib is still on trial for dozens of charges relating to 1MDB.