Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak (photo, above) has questioned Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa's knowledge of protocol for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's installation ceremony held on Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, Najib said: "All kind of things come from the mouth of this master (kekanda). Ask him if he knows the protocol of where a former prime minister is supposed to be seated?"

Najib claimed he could not attend the function after receiving a call at 6.30am on the day of the ceremony, informing that his seat, which should have been number 10 as the former prime minister, had been changed at the last minute to the seat for "Orang Besar Pahang".

According to Najib, the ceremonial attire for "Orang Besar Pahang" and the attire for the former prime minister was not the same, and he did not have enough time to take the ceremonial attire for "Orang Besar Pahang" from Pekan, Pahang.

Mujahid said yesterday that Najib's seat had been pre-determined and not moved at the last minute as claimed.

"The issue was not that it had been moved. The issue (Najib’s seat) had been determined. Then Najib himself had given the excuse that he had to be seated at the place for Orang Besar Pahang. He had to change attire. That is his problem. We have informed (him) much earlier,” said Mujahid.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad also commented last night that it was Istana Negara that decided on Najib's seating arrangement, and he was not involved in the matter.

Mujahid, who was the chairperson of the Special Committee on the Installation Ceremony of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, said he had given an official reply to Najib on the allegation.

Najib in his Facebook post added there was no need for Mujahid to be so clever and make it a formal issue. 

"You are just good at writing letters only," he added.