“All I saw were pictures of Azri putting his arm around him,” the former prime minister said in a Facebook post, referring to Umno Youth exco member Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, better known as Papagomo.

Najib said there were witnesses who could provide pictures and video recordings of the incident.

Yesterday, Syed Saddiq lodged a police report claiming that he was assaulted and intimidated by Papagomo and other opposition supporters during the nomination for the Semenyih by-election in Kajang.

“I don’t know what Papagomo’s intention was when he suddenly grabbed the back of my neck really hard when I and my three friends were leaving the nomination centre,” he told reporters after lodging the report.

A 22-second video clip showing the minister being surrounded and chased while he was walking to his car went viral.

Papagomo has since denied assaulting Syed Saddiq, while Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki told the Muar MP to put an end to his “theatrics”.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that police will summon Papagomo to assist investigations into the incident.

Selangor police chief Noor Azam Jamaludin said the blogger would be called as soon as possible.

“We will call him and other individuals featured in the video clip of the alleged abuse of the minister to record their statements,” he said.

Bernama also reported Syed Saddiq as denying that he had provoked the crowd on nomination day, after some blamed him for the incident.