Two close allies of Prime Minister Najib Razak are reportedly in the running to replace Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, reported Singapore’s Straits Times ( ST ) today.

The English daily named ambassador to the US Awang Adek Hussin and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Adul Wahid Omar as the main contenders, citing unnamed close advisers of the PM.

“Prime Minister Najib Razak is leaning heavily on two of his allies in government, a move close advisers say is part of a wider campaign by the premier to quell a months-long revolt against his administration among powerful sections of the civil service,” wrote ST .

It also reported Bank Negara deputy governor Muhammad Ibrahim as being the Bank Negara’s preferred internal candidate.

Awang was reported to be the frontrunner, but noted that “close aides to the premier say that Awang had indicated last month that he would prefer to stay out of the race”.

The report echoes Utusan Malaysia , who named the same duo in a speculative piece last month on who would replace Zeti when she retires from Bank Negara at the end of next month.

Missing from the tip off lists was Finance Ministry secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah, whom The Wall Street Journal last week named as the likely successor.

Irwan, who is also on the controversial 1MDB’s board of advisors, however told Malaysiakini he had no knowledge of this.

Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming today also questioned the choice of Irwan, whose role in multi-billion ringgit debts of Pembinaan PFI Sdn Bhd, a 99-percent Finance Ministry-owned company, raised serious concerns .