Dr Mahathir Mohamad was stopped from attending the installation ceremony of the 14th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong to avoid an awkward meeting between him and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, claimed former minister Zainuddin Maidin.

Zainuddin said this in reference to the letter from the Keeper of the Ruler’s Seal on Monday, informing the former prime minister that his invitation to the Dec 13 ceremony had been cancelled.

"The cancellation - after Mahathir accepted the invitation - was not to embarrass him but rather to avoid embarrassment by Najib if he were to cross paths with Mahathir," he said in a blog posting today.