The former prime minister said he was not afraid of their threats, and dismissed claims that he had lied. Najib said his articles were based on facts and that there was some basis to what he said.

He also said that lying on social media was not a criminal offence unless it instigates the people to take to the streets.

The threat to make police reports against him was made earlier today in PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli’s maiden speech at the party congress.

He was reported to have urged PKR members to start lodging police reports against Najib every time the former prime minister made remarks to mislead the people. Rafizi, also branded Najib a coward, according to the New Straits Times.

However, Najib said that if lying were a crime, Rafizi would have been imprisoned for 10 years. “So go ahead, lodge police reports. I am not afraid as I do not lie, unlike you,” he said in a Facebook post this evening.

Najib also accused Rafizi of cowardice in taking a two-year break from active politics. Rafizi returned this year to take part in PKR’s elections, to contest the vacant post of deputy president. He defeated party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in the race.

Rafizi had recently said he planned to file a police report against Najib for negligence during his time in power in leaving government assets such as Petronas vulnerable to confiscation.

His comment came following reports that heirs of the Sulu sultanate had obtained a seizure order against two Petronas subsidiaries registered in Luxembourg in a dispute over payments for ceding sovereignty over Sabah.