Najib Razak, Embattled Malaysian Premier, Reshuffles Cabinet, Sacks Deputy Prime Minister

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has sacked his deputy and four other ministers in a cabinet reshuffle amid a widening financial scandal.

Najib, in a televised address Tuesday, announced the removal of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. He also sacked four cabinet ministers Mohd Shafie Apdal, Hasan Malek, G. Palanivel and Ewon Ebin and appointed seven new ministers.

"The decision to replace Muhyiddin Yassin was very difficult, but leadership is about doing what you think is right. To deliver for Malaysia, I must have a solid and unified team moving in the same direction," Najib said, according to Channel NewsAsia. Home Minister Zahid Hamidi replaced Yassin as deputy premier.

Sacked deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, considered as one of fiercest critics of Najib, said the prime minister fired him with just a nod.

"In the meeting, I asked him why was I here. I asked him if it was about the Cabinet reshuffle. He just nodded his head," Yassin said on Wednesday, according to The Malay Mail Online. "I was only notified by the Prime Minister's office yesterday," he added.

The Malaysian prime minister is under pressure over recent revelations that $700 million were transferred to his personal bank accounts from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) fund.

He also fired Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail because of heath reasons, according to state-run Bernama news agency. Patail had led an investigation into the 1MDB fund.

Najib has denied the allegations and has claimed that the allegations are part of "political sabotage" against his government, according to VOA News. 1MDB, a state investment fund set up in 2009 by Najib, faces accusations of corruption and mismanagement and is over $11 billion in debt.