KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s lawyer said today that he will wait for an “official reply” from Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik by Monday to a letter demanding an apology over allegedly defamatory remarks, despite the former MCA president publicly telling the prime minister to go ahead and sue.

“I will wait until the seven days given to lapse before any next course of action is advised to my client,” Datuk Hafarizam Harun told Malay Mail Online.

“I can’t comment on news circulating on the net until I have received [an] official reply within the stipulated time above,” added the lawyer representing Najib, who is also Umno president.

Dr Ling said in a signed statement earlier today that he will not apologise over alleged remarks suggesting that the prime minister had misappropriated public funds, telling Najib instead that he accepted the Umno president’s “challenge” should a suit be initiated.

Najib’s lawyers sent a letter of demand to Dr Ling Monday, accusing the ex-MCA president of defamation for reportedly saying that the prime minister “has taken people’s money and put it in his own personal accounts”.

Najib has been implicated in corruption investigations into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) after US-based Wall Street Journal reported in July some US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) was funnelled through several entities linked to the state-owned firm into the prime minister’s personal bank accounts, two months before the tumultuous May 5, 2013 general elections.