Customs confirms RM24mil ring exists

The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) has confirmed the existence of a RM24 million diamond ring which the prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor, has been accused of purchasing.

However, in a written reply to Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng in Parliament today, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz clarified that the ring was not purchased after it was brought into the country.

“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Comission (MACC) has referred the matter to the JKDM and JKDM has confirmed that there was no such purchase of the ring.

“After a few days, the ring was returned to the company which owns it," he said.

In July, former PKR central committee member Badrul Hisham Shaharin had claimed that a ring, 'Natural Fancy Gray Cushion Cut Diamond' priced at RM24,458,400 was flown in via the KL international Airport.

Producing a customs department information system printout, he said that the item was purchased through fine jewellery company Jacob & Co based in New York and brought into Malaysia by one Jeremy Beh Sin Tee.

He added that the document showed Rosmah's name in the receiver's column of the customs form, which he claims to be evidence implicating the prime minister's wife's purchase of the lavish ring.

Rosmah has vehemently denied the allegation, which she describes as another series of “slanders” against her.

“This is nothing funny, this is slander... what have I not experienced? I have experienced all,” she had said.

Despite the denial, opponents of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak have jumped on this and the issue has often been played up at political ceramah.