Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal has confirmed that he’s not quitting the Cabinet as the rumours on the internet have it.
“Why should I quit my position for raising issues of interest to the country and nation?”
He explained that he raised questions on the 1Malaysia Development Board (1MDB) to seek clarification. “There’s a need for us to explain to the people at large,” he said.
Last week, Shafie was reported as saying that he and his Cabinet colleagues were baffled by 1MDB’s transactions. “We are responsible Cabinet members. That’s why we asked questions. We want to know as well,” he said.
Shafie said he will not answer questions anymore on 1MDB as Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah was the appointed spokesman. “Listen to Husni’s speech tonight (on RTM),” he added.
He declined to disclose details on a reported meeting between Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on Tuesday night with Cabinet Ministers.
Shafie has now joined Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein who has since confirmed he will not be leaving the Cabinet. Hishammuddin tweeted on Wednesday that he had no plans to quit, and any such talk he added was “‘negative spin by some irresponsible people”.
Earlier, Hishammuddin had publicly urged Najib to answer former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s queries on 1MDB’s debts.
Utusan Malaysia reported that the meeting on Tuesday was meant to brief the Cabinet on 1MDB’s RM42 billion debt.
The Malay daily had previously reported that Najib had issued an ultimatum to his ministers last week, telling them to quit the Cabinet if they do not support his 1MDB Roadmap