KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 — Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan explained that ministers who had problems with state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) were given a chance to resign by the prime minister before they were dropped from the Cabinet.

The urban wellbeing, housing and local government minister said Datuk Seri Najib Razak had given the chance to those like former deputy minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal to ask about the issue provided it was made within the Cabinet or the Umno supreme council.

"Because of that, before they were sacked, Datuk Seri Najib has offered them to resign honourably. Many do not know that Datuk Seri Najib did not sack but asked them to resign if they disagreed with the government.

"But why did Muhyiddin and Mohd Shafie not take the more honourable step by resigning?” Abdul Rahman said in an interview with Malay daily Utusan Malaysia today.

The Kota Belud MP said if it were true that Muhyiddin was sacked because of his disagreement with 1MDB, he would have been fired a long time ago since the Pagoh MP had criticised 1MDB ever since 2014.

"When they did not do so even after offered an honourable resignation, then the prime minister did not have any choice but to fire them,” Abdul Rahman added.

In a sudden Cabinet reshuffle back in July, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi replaced Muhyiddin as deputy prime minister, while Shafie, also an Umno vice-president, was dropped as rural and regional development minister.

Muhyiddin and Shafie later quit Umno and formed offshoots Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) and Parti Warisan Sabah respectively.