This is over fears that Najib's presence at the division annual general meeting on Aug 15 may cause tensions to spiral out of control.
This was after Najib, who is also prime minister, dropped Shafie (photo, white shirt) as rural and regional development minister last Tuesday for his criticism against 1MDB.
According to a source close to Shafie, he said the snub against Najib was at the request of Umno grassroots members in Semporna.
"We are worried that the situation may become uncontrollable if the invitation went ahead," he told Malaysiakini when contacted.
Deputy chief tightlipped
Meanwhile, Semporna Umno deputy chief Nasir Sakaran was tightlipped about the move to snub Najib.
"I don't want to comment, I don't want to make the situation worse," he told Malaysiakini.
Nasir said he would only weigh into the matter after a divisional meeting tomorrow.
Aside from Shafie, Muhyiddin was also dropped as deputy prime minister for criticising Najib's handling of 1MDB.
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Johor Menteri Besar Khaled Nordin's call on Umno not to remain silent has raised eyebrows, even though he did not mention names.
Silence, Khaled said, was not an option when Umno deviates from its struggle to defend certain people in the name of "loyalty".
"Umno cannot stay silent when the party no longer prioritises the Malay struggle but is used to defend certain groups in the name of loyalty and party discipline.
"The time has come for Umno to move forward, to be more proactive and dominant," Khaled said in a Facebook posting today.
He added that Umno also cannot stay silent when corruption becomes a culture and trust is betrayed.
The post was an excerpt from his speech when officiating the Pasir Gudang Wanita Umno annual general meeting last Sunday.
His remarks came shortly after his son's open criticism of the RM2.6 billion deposited into Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's personal bank accounts.
Akmal Saufi Khaled had questioned whether there was proof that the RM2.6 billion was indeed a "donation" and not from 1MDB.
Akmal Saufi also raised several questions about the money, including the source of the fund and whether Umno was made aware of it.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday confirmed the deposit after months of silence from Najib but said the amount was "donation" and not from 1MDB.
The MACC did not specify where the money came from.
Najib last Tuesday dismissed his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, who hails from Johor, for his criticism of 1MDB.
Since the cabinet reshuffle, signs of turmoil have emerged in the southern state.
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