Former minister Zaid Ibrahim is in the same league of "disappointed individuals" as former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor claimed today.

Tengku Adnan told reporters he drew parallels between the two because Zaid, like Mahathir, had often "interfered" with the present government's administration.

"Zaid also seems to be another person who is disappointed.

"When a disappointed individual speaks, he will become a problem. Like Tun Mahathir," he said.

Tengku Adnan was responding to Zaid, who had reportedly said that the Putrajaya MP was behaving like a "choir boy" who was singing to the same tune as Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, in order to fend off Mahathir's challenge to the premier to attend the upcoming "Nothing to Hide 2.0" debate.

Online portal Free Malaysia Today had also quoted Zaid as saying that Najib would not dare to accept the debate challenge as he would have nothing to say.

Tengku Adnan added that Zaid's disappointment had stemmed from his own failure as a minister.

"He (Zaid) only became a minister for a short while. He couldn't perform and so he was sacked by Tun Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi)...," claimed Tengku Adnan, who is also Umno secretary-general.

Zaid, a former Umno Kota Baru MP, was made a senator and named as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of legal affairs during a March 2008 cabinet reshuffle by former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

He, however, resigned from the post in September of the same year as a sign of protest against a spate of arrests under the Internal Security Act 1960.

The move later resulted in his suspension from the ruling party.

Commenting further, Tengku Adnan said the party will not entertain remarks by "disappointed individuals" like Zaid.

"This is their (disappointed individual)'s problem so I believe we cannot entertain whatever they are saying," he said.

Bersatu Youth assistant secretary Danial Syahiran Ho Imran Ho previously confirmed with Malaysiakini that the debate will be held on August 13 at a venue which has yet to be determined.

The previous “Nothing to Hide” forum was held at Umno’s headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur, in June 2015.

It was organised by law-based NGO SukaGuam as a platform for civil society groups, including Mahathir, to grill Najib. Najib had supposedly agreed to appear at the forum.

However, Najib did not turn up and Mahathir took to the stage instead to address the audience of approximately 2,000 people until the police stopped him from continuing his speech.