Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has warned UMNO members that if left unchecked, the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy would cause the party to lose should the General Election be held tomorrow.

“It will be difficult and an uphill battle for Barisan Nasional,” he said in his winding up speech at the Cheras UMNO division meeting on Sunday night.

Despite the negative public perception though, Muhyiddin said there was still time to reverse the situation.

The Deputy Prime Minister also spoke about his advice to Najib, to quit as 1MDB chairman, but was ignored.

Muhyiddin said his advice was to prevent the Prime Minister from being tainted by all the allegations surrounding 1MDB.

UMNO members at the meeting were also told not to demonise Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the former prime minister is seen as a father figure to the party.

Muhyiddin made this call in reference to Dr Mahathir's vocal criticism of Najib and the controversy surrounding 1MDB.

“The more you slam him, the more his popularity will soar and ours will fall,” Muhyiddin said.

“He (Dr Mahathir) is concerned with Najib’s situation because he cares for Najib… this is due to history with Tun (Abdul) Razak (Hussein).

“He’s only giving his opinion and I don’t think it’s too much,” Muhyiddin said.

On the suspension of The Edge Weekly and The Edge Financial Daily, Muhyiddin said, he had to resort to reading the publications in order to get information on 1MDB.

“I had to read The Edge in order to understand what’s going on in 1MDB.

“People tell me The Edge report is false, so tell me what is the truth,” he said.