The media and various quarters have been scrambling to deconstruct the ultimatum issued to dissenting ministers over the 1MDB conundrum which is causing tremors for the Najib administration.

But PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli believes the aftershocks if any would be negligible since such calls are rooted in honour - a trait, the opposition politician claims, the cabinet does not possess.

"I personally don't think that the call to leave cabinet will make any difference.

"This concept of collective responsibility and resignation over policy disagreement is meant for a cabinet with honourable people, which certainly isn't the case now," he told Malaysiakini .

Rafizi was responding to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who told his ministers who attended last Friday's cabinet meeting to quit over differences concerning 1MDB.

Some like Culture and Tourism Minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz argued that it was not an ultimatum but rather the premier stressing on the need to be united on this issue.

Plot will continue

Rafizi is least bit surprised by the latest development, saying he anticipated the prime minister to walk down this road.

"Najib's ultimatum is expected. I expected the internal struggle in Umno to go down this path i.e. Najib will eventually flex his muscles using all levers of power at his disposal," he said.

The Pandan lawmaker also wondered if the graft crackdown in Sarawak is related to this issue.

"A few weeks ago out of nowhere we heard about bank accounts of Sarawak politicians being frozen over alleged logging misappropriation.

"One has to question the timing and I will not rule out that it was timed to send a message to Borneo politicians that if they consider to ditch Najib, they will have to face the music," he added.

After all, Rafizi pointed out, it has been the tradition in Umno that when a prime minister is facing an internal dissent, he would use all levers of power against his detractors.

For example, he cited how former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad did the same during his feud with his then deputy Anwar Ibrahim.

"Mahathir used every institution at his disposal from the judiciary, police, media and others to get rid of Anwar.

"Mahathir also gave an ultimatum to Anwar. So what Najib has done is only to emulate how Mahathir had rid himself of a challenger back then," he said.

Rafizi is also confident that those challenging Najib would ignore his call for them to resign.

"They will continue to scheme to sabotage him. The split among Umno elites will continue and the country will seem directionless for a while.

"Najib's ultimatum will just up the stake one notch higher leading to a cabinet reshuffle by end of this year if Najib is confident of the upper hand," he added.