KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 — Putrajaya should focus on administering the country and manage the worsening economy instead of getting embroiled in uncovering an unverified plot to unseat Datuk Seri Najib Razak as prime minister, former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said today.

In a Facebook posting this morning, the former International Trade and Industry minister said she remains unconvinced that an Umno leader was behind an elaborate plan to topple the government.

“I am shocked by tales that there is a plot and conspiracy to topple our leaders and the government, and that a former Umno leader is supposedly leading this scheme.

“I am not convinced with these sort of accusations,” she wrote.

Rafidah pointed out that there were more pressing concerns that the government should address, such as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issue, the RM2.6 billion donation into PM Najib’s personal bank accounts as well as ongoing economic troubles which has affected investor confidence.

She said these made it unlikely that Umno members would risk a move to unseat Najib when the party was currently vulnerable.

“In short, leaders must focus fully on administering the country and solving the problems. There is nothing to gain for anyone, especially those in Umno or Barisan Nasional to unseat a ‘leader’ and ‘topple the government’,” Rafidah said.

She reminded the ruling government that voters were watching their actions and will decide on who to vote for in the upcoming general election.

“It is not plots or conspiracies which determine (the country’s leaders) but the people are the ones who will decide in the next general election,” she added.

In his speech to Ampang Umno delegates on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claimed an Umno leader, whom he declined to name, was trying to get lawmakers from both sides of the political divide to sign an SD to show that they had the majority voice to move a no-confidence vote in the Dewan Rakyat.

Attention then shifted to axed deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who is another fierce critic of PM Najib’s brainchild — 1MDB.

However, Muhyiddin told Umno delegates in Semporna, Sabah recently that he would be “stupid” to want to topple the BN government he helped to build.

Discontent appears to be brewing within Umno in at least three states: Johor, Sabah and Kedah since the removal of Muhyiddin and vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal from Cabinet following their vocal criticism of the government’s handling of 1MDB.

Despite their axing from government, the two senior Umno leaders hold much sway among party grassroot leaders in its Johor fortress and Sabah, considered a BN “fixed deposit” for elections.