Umno supreme council member Nazri Abdul Aziz has accused suspended deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin of conspiring to oust president Najib Abdul Razak since last year.

He claimed that this started when Muhyiddin was still deputy prime minister, when he met with the former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail about investigations on Najib, linked to an alleged financial improprieties in what was then 1MDB subsidiary, SRC International Sdn Bhd.

"I am curious how a DPM can call on the AG. Actually he cannot do that, and even if he wanted to do so, he must convene the cabinet. Yes, as was said by federal minister Azalina Othman , a conspiracy seems to be afoot," he told Malaysiakini and FMT in a joint interview.

Nazri said further, when Muhyiddin met Gani, the investigation has yet to conclude, which he found to be strange.

"In my view, you cannot cast aspersions based on charges which has not yet been decided by the courts. The way Muhyiddin spoke was as if Najib was confirmed guilty. For me that smells like someone from his side was trying to sabotage the PM," he said.

Nazri claimed that other than trying to oust Najib, part of the conspiracy from Muhyiddin's camp was to topple deputy president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and replace him with vice-president Shafie Apdal.

"As I see it, their agenda is for Muhyiddin to take down Najib and he recruited Shafie because Shafie had ambition of becoming DPM. But he cannot cut in line as Zahid is more senior.

"That is their agenda. We know, but we never bothered to say earlier, but it is all out in the open now, when Muhyiddin confirmed that he met the AG. The cat is out of the bag," he said.

Nazri also said that Muhyiddin's crusade gained the support of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamed, as the Umno rebels claimed that they now have proof to back up their plans.

"Claims that Muhyiddin has the support of Mahathir and the guarantee that they have proof, even I got via SMS from an unidentified number. So it is clearly about Muhyiddin trying to sabotage his boss," he said.

Nazri ( photo ) who was disappointed with the matter related that Muhyiddin seemed ill at ease when Najib asked for more time to solve the 1MDB matter.

"We agreed (with Najib) but Muhyiddin seemed unhappy, he continues to attack Najib. We must remember that the 1MDB (funds) are investment, it will take time to be repatriated. Najib wanted to bring back RM20 billion from China but Muhyiddin seemed not happy about it," he added.

Extended olive branch

Meanwhile, Nazri also related that Umno supreme council member Ahmad Shabery Cheek in mid last year had suggested Muhyiddin be made the official spokesperson for 1MDB matters on behalf of the cabinet.

"... Shabery had proposed that we make our 1MDB response more consistent as it involved complex matters. So he proposed Muhyiddin as spokesperson but the former DPM refused.

"By right we should all support the proposal, he as the number two man should be the one taking charge. We we shocked when he refused. You can go ask the other ministers about it," related Nazri.

When asked why it took so long to take action against Muhyiddin, he said that it was because they had initially extended the olive branch to Muhyiddin hoping that he will recant his actions.

"At first we wanted to take action before the last Umno general assembly after he went to the Sultan Sulaiman Club and talked to the public at large," Nazri said.

He explained that during the meet, the mood was that Umno must unite, and Najib at the time offered the olive branch to the rebels. But when the AG declared that the Umno president was innocent, he found it strange that Muhyiddin was one of those who spoke out against it.

"If others want to oppose the decision it would be non-Umno members. The opposition for one, we would understand. But when he met with the 13 branch leaders, instead of calming the waters, he incited them, that was when we decided to take action.

"He knew about it, so there is no need for a show cause letter. He knows what he did was wrong," concluded Nazri.