Rosmah: I don't know if mother-in-law used 'FLOM' title

KUALA LUMPUR: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor told the High Court that she did not know whether her mother-in-law had used the title First Lady of Malaysia (FLOM) as she herself did.

During cross-examination by lead prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram on Thursday (Oct 7), she was asked if her mother-in-law, the late Tun Rahah Mohd Noah, was then known as the first lady of Malaysia during the premiership of Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, who was the second prime minister.

Rahah and Abdul Razak were the parents of Rosmah’s husband, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“I don't know. When she was the wife of the prime minister, I was not married to Najib,” she said at her graft trial on Thursday.

Sri Ram: Can you confirm that the previous wives (of the prime ministers) do not have the title?

Rosmah: I didn’t notice.

Sri Ram suggested that Rosmah had assumed the title herself, which she denied.

Sri Ram: You give yourself the title

Rosmah: No.

Sri Ram: Who gave you the title?

Rosmah: Nobody gave me the title. It was just an administrative purpose.

“Wives of the (previous) prime ministers weren’t too active in welfare activities or outstanding projects like Permata Negara.

“They were probably hardly ever called to give keynote addresses outside of the country.

“When my husband was the prime minister, I led a very, very, busy life,” she added.

Sri Ram then asked Rosmah if there was a department that was created within the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) called ‘The First Lady of Malaysia’.

“I don’t know. That is not my job. I don’t interfere with the PMO,” she said.

The High Court had previously heard testimony that Rosmah was the first prime minister’s wife to have her own dedicated division within the PMO.

Sri Ram suggested that Rosmah came into the limelight much more than the wives of her husband’s predecessors.

“I’m not sure because I don’t compare myself to them,” she replied.

Rosmah is facing one charge of soliciting RM187.5mil and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5mil from Jepak Holdings’ former managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.

The bribes were allegedly received through Rosmah’s former aide Datuk Rizal Mansor as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel generator sets for 369 Sarawak rural schools worth RM1.25bil from the Education Ministry through direct negotiation.

The hearing continues before Justice Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on Oct 21.