ROSMAH RUMOURS pile pressure on embattled Najib

KUALA LUMPUR - The issue of Rosmah Mansor using the official government jet has again become the subject of gossip, and joining the chatter is Shahbudin Husin, a harsh government critic and a blogger with a large following.

In his latest blog entry, Shahbudin notes that Najib returned from his holiday without his wife and that he landed in an Air Force jet although he and his family left for the United States in the government’s private aircraft.

He asks for official confirmation that Rosmah is still holidaying in the US, repeating questions asked in an official press release by PKR Youth: Why didn’t Najib return in the official jet? Is it true that the jet is now in Indianapolis in the American Midwest? Who is using the jet?

He says the public needs the answers to these questions because it appears that public funds are being misused. “The use of an Air Force jet to bring Najib home of course doubles the cost,” he adds.

He says that although Najib has somewhat mitigated his error of going on a holiday in the midst of the flood crisis by cutting the vacation short, he has committed a worse mistake in allowing his wife to use the official jet because she doesn’t have the right to it and because it involves public funds.

He implies that this could be the reason why some ministers were defying the Prime Minister’s order for them to cut their vacation short to deal with the flood crisis.

“Rosmah has used the official jet several times for personal purposes and it seems that no one can stop her,” he says. “This time it is used for her to holiday while Najib is in the country. This only adds to the hatred and resentment.”

Shahbudin recalls Deputy Prime Muhyiddin Yassin’s remark when asked to comment about Najib golfing in Hawaii with US President Barack Obama. “Leave the Prime Minister alone,” said Muhyiddin. “Like any normal human being, he too needs a holiday.”

He interprets the DPM’s comment as a veiled criticism, using the Malay expression that translates into “poisoned honey”. He speculates that Muhyiddin, if asked to comment on the gossip about Rosmah, would say, “Just let Rosmah use the jet. She too has made huge sacrifices for the country.” - FMT