Senior minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz has denied that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak issued an ultimatum to cabinet ministers over the 1MDB issue.

Speaking to Malaysiakini , Nazri said the atmosphere at the cabinet meeting was not tense either.

“The prime minister merely told us the need to stand together and anything decided must be of one voice.

“PM said if there are ministers who are not comfortable with the 1MDB issue, they can send their (resignation) letters, and he would understand,” Nazri told Malaysiakini .

 

"It wasn't (like the kind of tone) that you don't like, you can go," said Nazri, the MP for Padang Rengas.

He was responding to Najib's resignation call , which he said was intepreted as though cabinet members have differences over the debt-laden 1 Malaysia Development Bhd fiasco and its restructuring plan.

Najib reportedly made the call after questions were raised by some ministers on the to 1MDB matter.

"These people weren't in the cabinet meeting. They (simply) did not understand the atmosphere during the meeting. It was just peaceful," Nazri said.

The culture and tourism minister said no minister, including Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal, voiced any objection.

Shafie ( photo ) shot down the suggestion that cabinet should take collective responsibility over the 1MDB problem when some even unclear about 1MDB.

He asked the government to explain the 1MDB issue to the public.

"For us, we understood the context that cabinet must stand together," Nazri said.

The ministers do not have a clearer picture of how the government going to handle the 1MDB issue, Nazri said.

"However, everybody (the ministers) were happy, when we listened to Husni's (Finance Minister II Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah) explanation," he said.

However, Nazri refused to reveal the details and decision arrived on the 1MDB issues, citing that Husni is now the spokeperson for 1MDB.

The Umno supreme council member even defended cabinet's decision to appoint Husni as spokeperson for 1MDB.

"We fear that when others speak on 1MDB, it may be deemed that we are not agreeing with the 1MDB matter," he said.

"One thing for sure, Najib will not do anything to jeopordise the economy of the country.

"He has come a long way to become prime minister, and he will not jeopordise his vision as the country's leader," Nazri added.