“I don’t want to comment. I don’t intend to make any kind of statement. There is nothing from Umno,” said Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa, when asked to respond on a commentary in Utusan’s weekend edition yesterday, accusing Najib of lying to members over the source of some RM2.6 billion he received in his bank account.

The comments were written by Awang Selamat, the pseudonym used to represent Utusan’s editorial voice.

Awang Selamat said Najib must apologise to Umno members, adding that he had lied over some RM2.6 billion linked to the 1MDB scandal, money that Najib had said was a gift from the Saudi royal household.

The paper said Najib’s “lies” had also cost Barisan Nasional the 14th general election.

Despite Annuar’s refusal to comment, an Umno division chief took Utusan’s new management to task, and questioned if the media group’s chairman Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir was being used by the present government.

Batu Pahat Umno chief Mohd Puad Zarkashi said Aziz must apologise over the article.

“Why use Utusan to urge Najib to apologise to Umno members on 1MDB issues? Is Aziz part of the Mahathir-Daim gameplan to further tear apart Umno’s unity after GE14?” he asked, referring to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his trusted aide Daim Zainuddin.

Puad added that Najib remained popular despite the charges against him, adding that this could be seen when he was given a rousing welcome during a dialogue session yesterday.

Annuar meanwhile said Utusan’s piece yesterday was part of press freedom.

“There’s freedom for the media. So the issue of whether it should or should not (publish) does not arise.

“Everyone is free to give their opinion, including the media,” said Annuar.