Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak has struck a defiant note.

In his first speech in his constituency of Pekan on Sunday, May 20, Najib told a crowd of about 500 people: “I did not steal the people’s money.”

Not treated properly

Despite intense scrutiny from an unshackled Malaysian media, a deepening corruption investigation and an increasingly woke public, Najib's latest public posturing sees him trying to claw back the narrative.

He has been summoned to pay a visit to Malaysia’s anti-graft agency in two days' time on Tuesday.

Despite the unpopularity of the former PM across Malaysia, Najib's visit to the rural home constituency he has represented for decades, saw him being welcomed by crowds of supporters of his ethnic-Malay Umno party.

“I was prepared to hand over power gracefully. But once I did that, I was not treated properly,” he said to a crowd at the Umno building in Pekan.

BN soundly defeated

This was his first public address since the May 9 election day, when the Barisan Nasional government he had led was toppled.

Of the 11,642,437 voters, BN secured 4.24 million votes, making up only 36.42 percent.

The Pakatan Harapan coalition that won the polls, scored 5.51 million votes, or 47.33 percent of votes.

Rallying Umno supporters

Umno is now in crisis following its massive electoral defeat, which prompted Najib’s resignation as its leader.

However, the ex-Umno chief still said at Pekan: “I am amazed that even though I am no longer the prime minister, there are so many people at this event.”

“I think this is the true spirit of Umno. Even though we are in tears... (and) power is no longer in our hands, no one can kill our spirit to fight on.”

Najib’s denial of wrongdoing comes despite detailed evidence that has emerged in recent years indicating that he, his family, and cronies plundered 1MDB.

These include US Department of Justice civil lawsuits seeking to seize US$1.7 billion (RM6.7 billion) in real estate, art works and other luxuries allegedly bought with money looted from the fund.

Targeted because he was powerful

Still, Najib and his supporters have closed ranks, and apparently, not everyone has abandoned him.

"You know me, I have served here for 42 years," Najib told supporter to shouts of "We love you Datuk Seri!"

Najib said he believes he had been targeted due to his previous positions as Umno president and prime minister.

He said: "To topple the party, they had to target the president. They would do anything as long as my brand was destroyed."

“There were a lot of allegations made... I was the target because I was the prime minister and party president.”

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Najib also complained about the overnight police searches, and said many personal items unrelated to 1MDB were improperly impounded.

He has said the money and luxury items seized -- which police said were so vast that it would take time to tally their worth -- were gifts from friends and cash donations for his election campaign.