Following the arrest of PetroSaudi International's former employee Xavier Andre Justo, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had claimed that several Malaysians allegedly asked the Swiss national to tamper with the leaked emails.

This was purportedly done to cast 1MDB in a negative light.

Since then, speculation had been rife on the identity of these Malaysians, with some quarters even implicating an aide to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Asked on this, Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz ( photo ) urged those making such links to be patient and wait for the outcome of police investigations.

"This is speculation. I don't have the facts, I don't want to comment," he told reporters at a function in Kuala Lumpur.

"Never mind, we wait and see, we wait for the investigation first, " he added.

Previously when Zahid said Malaysians might be extradited to Thailand, where Justo is being held, DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang asked if this would include Mahathir.

The former premier, who has been a staunch critic of 1MDB and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, himself smelled a rat in the arrest of Justo for allegedly attempting to blackmail his former employer.

Detractors have claimed the government's tampered narrative was to shield 1MDB, which has been drowning in allegations.

No freedom to lie

Meanwhile, Nazri also defended the Home Ministry's decision to slap financial daily The Edge with a show-cause letter for its alleged false reports on 1MDB with regard to the leaked emails.

"As long as the procedure is followed, nobody is above the law, including The Edge ," he said.

The minister also denied the move was an attempt to silence the media, saying news organisations were still free to report.

"I always believe in freedom of the press but not the freedom to lie," he added.

He urged The Edge to reply the government if the daily has 'nothing to hide'.

When asked if the daily's permit should be revoked if it is proven to be a false report, he said, everything has to follow the law.

"It's up to them to reply to the letter; we take if from there. You know what the law is, follow the law...what the law provides," he said.

In a related development, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said he met with Thai deputy inspector-general of police Chaktip Chaijinda yesterday to discuss the permission to interrogate Justo.

"I have met with him (Chaktip) and exchanged information and intelligence regarding the issue, but I'm not ready to disclose the details of our discussion to the public," he said.