Maira says still married, son’s engagement to Najib’s daughter still on

KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — The mother of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s future son-in-law has denied allegations that she and her son are being sued by her multi-millionaire husband, and has maintained that her marriage is still intact.

She also said her son’s engagement to Prime Minister Najib’s daughter is still on despite the flurry of allegations which has surfaced from court documents filed by her estranged husband in a New York court.

Najib had a glittering ceremony in Kuala Lumpur last year to mark his daughter’s engagement. — File pic

On Tuesday, several foreign newspapers including the New York Post reported that Daniyar Nazarbayev, who is engaged to Najib’s daughter, was being sued together with his mother for cheating his stepfather Bolat Nazarbayez, brother to Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. He also allegedly fudged his academic qualifications to get into Columbia University in the United States.

Several local media picked up the story on the 24-year-old Kazakh who celebrated his engagement to Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa in a glittering ceremony here in June last year.

“There’s never been a day when I’ve had a fight with my husband,” Maira Nazarbayev told theNew York Post in an interview published today. 

“I consider myself married and in a good relationship with my husband. And I’ve never seen a document related to divorce. I’ve never signed anything nor have I received anything,” she added. 

The New York Post had cited court papers filed by Bolat Nazarbayez in New York, accusing Daniyar of cheating the former out of a US$20 million (RM63 million) condominium home on Wall Street besides landing in the top-rated university using “fraudulent and fabricated” paperwork from a high school in Kazakhstan he did not attend.

Daniyar, who is said to have met Nooryana in Columbia, graduated from the Ivy League institution in 2010.

The daily also reported that Maira had changed Daniyar’s surname from Kesikbayev to Nazarbayev to match the Kazakh president’s after marrying Bolat in 2001.

Maira said Bolat was “in shock” to learn about the lawsuit when she spoke to him on the phone a few weeks ago, and that he had indicated he had not authorised any court action to be taken against her or Daniyar. 

She also denied allegations that Daniyar was a high school dropout and had cheated to get into Columbia University, saying that it was all fabrications and lies. 

Maira said Daniyar is currently enlisted in the British military, and is still engaged to Nooryana.

“They are very saddened by the news that is coming out in the press about all these unsubstantiated claims,” she told the US newspaper. 

Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs had dismissed as unrelated to Najib’s leadership allegations the coalition chief’s future son-in-law cheated his stepfather out of a RM63 million home and lied to gain entrance into Columbia University.

Lawmakers from the ruling coalition had told The Malaysian Insider earlier this week the issue was a “private matter” and would not affect the Umno president’s ability to govern.

This is not the first time Najib’s ties with Kazakhstan have come under the spotlight. Indonesia’s top newspaper Kompas had alleged in August last year that Najib’s future son-in-law’s mother had links to the Russian mafia.

“Maira Nazarbayev, who lives a lifestyle a la Imelda Marcos, supposedly has links to the Russian mafia,” the paper had said in a column published on August 4, 2011.

However, the newspaper did not substantiate its claims. Najib denied the allegation and the newspaper has also apologised for the article.

Maira also said in the statement that the family has a pre-planned vacation in Europe over the next few weeks and she will “spend this quiet time with my family and loved ones.”