BATU PAHAT, Aug 26 — A minister has come out to ask three former top government officials to "clear their name” over insinuations that they were involved in a conspiracy to oust Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said former Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, former Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Dr Abu Kassim Mohamed "cannot remain silent”.

The Umno Supreme Council member was referring to reports that former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had hinted that Najib would have been out of office by now if the three Tan Sris had not been betrayed.

"It is better for the three Tan Sris to refute (the reports) if what Dr Mahathir mentioned was untrue,” he told reporters after opening the Umno Parit Sulong Division delegates meeting here today.

Yesterday, Malaysia’s Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim made a similar request to the three Tan Sris. — Bernama