In a Facebook post, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan criticised the MACC’s “unprecedented” act of releasing the audio recordings of Najib discussing dealings linked to 1MDB and SRC International with several officials, including Sheikh Mohammed Zayed.

MACC, he said, should have given any new evidence on 1MDB to the police for further investigation.

“MACC must act professionally and what happened today did not meet the required standard of professionalism.”

He said the conversation between a head of state with a foreign country’s leader is a secret matter and it was not right to reveal the conversations without going through the proper legal process.

“Today’s revelation will surely court trouble with the UAE government.

“MACC should understand it is important for Malaysia to avoid conflict with any country in our efforts to uncover the truth in the 1MDB scandal.”

The police, he said, must now investigate the new evidence in the interest of justice.

He also said today’s revelations prejudiced all those involved in the case.

Earlier, Najib said MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya had defamed him by describing the conversations as a cover-up or a political conspiracy to cover up (a crime).