The poison pen letter which has been circulating on social media alleged that the treasury official was ineffective in carrying out his duties and had helped tycoons evade tax.

The letter also claimed the treasury official received help from another senior finance ministry official. The two are alleged to be in a relationship.

FMT is withholding the name of the treasury official, who was appointed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, pending his comment.

“This is definitely a movement to oust him (the senior treasury official),” said the source who declined to be named.

The source, however, acknowledged that there had been complaints within the ministry about the “slow pace” for the disbursement of budget allocations.

“There are indeed questions about whether he is qualified for the job, so they (the group seeking the official’s removal) are capitalising on this.

“I believe the best way to put the matter to rest is through an investigation so that Datuk Seri (Anwar) can make an informed decision.”

FMT has reached out to the finance ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office for comment.