Wife of Malaysian ex-PM Najib’s 10-day trial marked by screaming matches and crying supporters
- Rosmah Mansor, the self-styled former ‘First Lady of Malaysia’, married to disgraced former PM Najib Razak, faces 20 charges including money laundering
- Her trial has also featured claims of emergency medical situations and shouting matches between her lawyer and the lead prosecutor
A screaming match broke out between Rosmah’s lawyer Jagjit Singh and lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram on Thursday over the latter’s supposed hearing difficulties, after Sri Ram asked a witness to speak up as he was “deaf”.
Later, when Jagjit attempted to clarify a point during questioning, Sri Ram accused Jagjit of sleeping, only for Jagjit to tell him off loudly. This led to Sri Ram asking him not to shout, and Jagjit snapping back: “I am shouting because you yourself said that you are deaf.”
Other dramatic highlights included Rosmah telling supporters gathered outside the courthouse not to cry, and taking ill in the dock.
“Don’t ever cry … You are all made of better stuff,” she told several women on Wednesday. Last week, proceedings were adjourned early after Rosmah refused to leave the courtroom at lunchtime, claiming she felt unwell.
Another key witness, former Education Ministry secretary general Madinah Mohamad, told the court she had entertained Jepak Holdings – the company approved as the contractor for the solar project – because her staff had been threatened.
“I received complaints from my officers that a person … was harassing those who were in the ministry’s procurement division. He said he would lodge a complaint with the prime minister and demanded to see the secretary general,” Madinah said. “So my officers told me to see him as they couldn’t stand the threats and insults any more.”
The court also heard from another witness that during Najib’s nine-year stint in power, Rosmah had a First Lady of Malaysia (FLOM) division created for her directly under the prime minister’s office.
“Prior to Najib’s administration, the wives were only given the help of a private secretary to coordinate the programmes of the prime ministers that required their attendance. Before this, the FLOM division never existed within the prime minister’s office,” said Huzairi Zainal Abidin, who was director of secretariat and services management in the prime minister’s office at the time.
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There was widespread public criticism when the newly formed division came to light, forcing Najib’s administration to remove it from the government’s public directory and rename it a “special division” in 2011.
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She is also facing 12 charges of money laundering and five counts of failure to declare income to the country’s tax authorities, bringing the total number of charges against her to 20.
Even the start of the trial was dramatic, with Rosmah missing the first day after she submitted a doctor’s letter claiming she was too ill to present herself to court. After a brief hospitalisation, she showed up for her trial with an ambulance in tow.
Najib and Rosmah fell from grace after shock election results in May 2018 saw his ruling Barisan Nasional coalition ousted by Pakatan Harapan. Soon after the new government was formed, Najib made an attempt to flee the country but was stopped at the airport.
During subsequent raids on his and Rosmah’s homes, police confiscated about US$275 million worth of goods including 284 boxes of designer handbags, 2,200 rings, 1,400 necklaces, 14 tiaras, 423 watches, and 234 pairs of designer sunglasses.
