For ministers who disagree with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, the honourable way is to "resign without being asked", Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

 

Appointing and sacking cabinet members is the absolute power of the prime minister, Zahid said, and members of the cabinet are therefore obliged to agree with PM on all his decisions.

 

"Among cabinet members, if one has no confidence or has lost confidence (in the prime minister), or questions his decisions publicly, the most honourable way is to resign without being asked to," he told reporters in Putrajaya.

 

Najib reportedly gave an ultimatum to cabinet members to resign if they do not support him on the 1MDB issue, which has attracted criticisms even from within the Umno leadership.

 

Those who have raised concerns on the prime minister’s handling of 1MDB’s debts include Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yasin, who was caught on video ( photo ) criticising 1MDB, Najib's brainchild, at a closed-door function attended by Umno grassroots and leaders.

 

When asked to comment on Shafie Apdal's dismiss that the entire cabinet is collectively responsible over 1MDB's problems, Zahid, however, skirted the question.

 

"You should ask him, not me," he said.

 

Shafie stressed he is not quitting

 

Pressed if the Rural and Regional Development Minister's statement has contradicted the cabinet principle of collective responsibility, Zahid again refrained, saying he has answered the question. 

 

Shafie ( photo, below ), who is also an UMNO vice-president, said ministers have fulfilled their obligations by actively raising questions on 1MDB during cabinet meetings, thus it would be unfair to claim that cabinet was being irresponsible if 1MDB are not forthcoming on certain issues in public.

 

He stressed that he will not resign from cabinet merely for raising issues of public interest.

 

The 1MDB saga also saw former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the strongest critic of the Finance Ministry-owned firm from within Umno’s fold, pointing out that ministers appear to be incapable in tackling the 1MDB issue.

 

For this, Zahid simply replied:"That is his own opinion."

 

On an unrelated note, Zahid said according to Malaysian law, Rohingya refugees have no right to work in Malaysia.

 

He said the government is not considering to issue them 1M13 pass, a temporary card which allows them to stay in Malaysia, as long as they have a job. 

 

Malaysia has agreed to host the Rohingya temporarily for a year before resettling them in another country.