Malaysian PM mulls legal action against Wall Street Journal

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was on Wednesday considering legal action against the Wall Street Journal over its reports that some $700 million from the controversial state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd. (1MDB) has been transferred to his personal account.

Najib's legal team sent an email to Dow Jones, owner of the Wall Street Journal, requesting it to confirm whether it stood by the report, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We are instructed by our client to seek confirmation as to whether it is your position, as taken in the articles, that our client misappropriated nearly 700 million dollars from 1MDB?" it said in the emailed letter.

Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak, the prime minister's law firm, said in the letter that it was seeking to "procure your position because the articles collectively suggest that you are unsure of the 'original source of the money and what happened to the money' whilst on the other hand, the general gist of the articles creates a clear impression that our client has misappropriated $700 million belonging to 1MDB".

"You will no doubt appreciate the seriousness of the allegation made against our client in the articles and this confirmation is sought to enable us to advise our client on the appropriate legal recourse he can take to seek redress in relation to the articles," the law firm said.

"We demand a reply within 14 days and please let us know whether you have appointed solicitors in Malaysia to accept service legal proceedings," it added.