"Do you think Nazri can be threatened?"

This is the response from Nazri Abdul Aziz to an opposition lawmaker's claim that ministers were threatened into silence on the 1MDB matter  by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"Ask him, does he think Nazri can be threatened," he added in reference to Tony Pua, who made the claim.

The culture and tourism minister also stressed that his fellow ministers too have pride and would not bow to threats.

"They are the leaders in their own communities. I don't think they can be threatened," he told Malaysiakini .

Pua ( photo ) made the remark after it was revealed that Najib told ministers who disagreed with him over 1MDB to resign during last Friday’s cabinet meeting.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP had accused cabinet members of being more interested in protecting their ministerial positions instead of being critical of the1MDB issue to protect taxpayers' interest.

Nazri said cabinet members didn't object to what was said by Najib in that he told cabinet members to send their resignation letters to him if they felt uncomfortable with his handling of the 1MDB issue.

Nazri added the ministers were satisfied with Finance Minister II Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah's explanation on 1MDB.

Pua had also questioned if the ministers had raised in cabinet the cost Malaysians would have to pay in return for the US$1 billion loan given by the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) to 1MDB to help pay off some of its debts.