SHAH ALAM, Jan 7 ― Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today defended his scathing attack on the status of Haj under the Prime Minister-1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) Foundation Special Programme, even after criticism which included from state muftis.

The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) chairman said he is clear about the status of the funds used, and the public should be made aware of it.

"Why should I? It is not halal and the people needs to know this,” he told reporters at a PPBM event here, referring to the Haj funds.

The former prime minister had recently claimed that Haj performed through the 1MDB Foundation sponsorship would not be "haji mabrur”, or divinely accepted Haj.

"If you don't know the food is forbidden it is okay, but what if you know?... And then you have muftis in the government, who praise the government regardless of what it does,” he claimed.

Dr Mahathir was referring to Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria on saying that he had no authority to say which Muslims deserve to have their haj prayers accepted by God.

Kelantan Mufti Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad also had told pilgrims to not worry about the status of their Haj under the programme.

Since 2011, Yayasan 1MDB, a foundation under the state investment arm, had sponsored mosque committee members to perform the Haj.