Former Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal has rubbished Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's assertions that his former deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, should have asked more questions about 1MDB while still in cabinet.

Shafie said both he and Muhyiddin asked questions but got no answers.

"(Muhyiddin) asked a lot of questions, I asked questions too. I asked 1MDB president Arul Kanda Kandasamy but he didn't answer," Shafie said at a joint interview today.

The Umno vice president said among the questions he asked Arul Kanda were about 1MDB business venture with PetroSaudi International, as well as the sovereign wealth fund's property purchases in Penang, and Klang.

Shafie said he had also asked Finance Minister II Husni Hanadzlah, about SRC International's RM4 billion investments in Mongolia.

Shafie, who is Umno vice president, and Muhyiddin, who is party number two are sidelined in the party after they were dropped from cabinet last July.

They were axed for being critical of 1MDB.

Shafie said that while in the cabinet, he had also asked about the RM2.6 billion donation into Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's personal accounts.

However, all he found out was that the donor was an Arab and nothing more.

The former minister also slammed Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's answer in Parliament last week on the RM2.6 billion donation which various quarters said fell short .

"Might as well not give any clarification if no questions are allowed.

"He can't give answers but Arul Kanda (1MDB's CEO) is allowed to speak all over the place," Shafie added referring to the reason of sub judice given by the government to not discuss the 1MDB case.