KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The U.S. government has returned about $156 million to Malaysia in recovered assets linked to scandal-hit state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported.

The recovered funds were being returned following the U.S. Justice Department's approval of a remission petition submitted by the Malaysian government, Bernama reported late on Thursday, citing a statement from the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

(Reporting by Danial Azhar; Editing by John Mair)