HIS WIFE ROSMAH TO BE SLAPPED WITH 20 CRIMINAL CHARGES SOON – YET ALL NAJIB CAN SAY IS ‘CASH IS KING’ ACTUALLY MEANS ‘CASH IS FOR THE PEOPLE’

KUALA LUMPUR – Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor is expected to formally answer charges of money laundering very soon, after probes that first began more than two years ago were revived.

The New Straits Times has learnt that investigators had, in recent days, tied up all the loose ends in their probe into the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

It is understood that they dusted off and resurrected the “Rosmah file” about three months ago, soon after the Barisan Nasional government fell. This particular investigation, like so many others before it, was linked to allegedly suspicious sources of funds connected to her husband that had earlier hit a brick wall.

This was about the same time that Rosmah was called to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters in Putrajaya in June for more than three hours.

Many were made to understand that the interview was in connection with the probe into SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of beleaguered 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

Najib was subsequently charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust and one charge under the MACC Act 2009 involving some RM42 million. He pleaded not guilty.

Sources said Najib might be answering to more charges before the end of the month.

THE ‘ROSMAH CASE’

According to those privy to the ongoing process to bring the 66-year-old to court, Rosmah, who was president of the Welfare Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) from 2009 to when her husband was removed in the May general election, could be hit with up to 20 criminal charges, mostly linked to alleged money laundering.

The NST also learnt that one charge, in particular, could draw a lot of interest.

It involved the purchase of hormone-based anti-ageing products from the United States worth just over RM1 million.

It is understood that her presence at MACC back then was because investigators believed that funds from SRC were allegedly used to purchase the oral dietary supplements.

These supplements apparently could enhance growth hormone levels by more than 600 per cent, if consumed rigorously.

Those who swore by the products said they experienced a boost in energy levels, had better sleep, increased sex drive, decreased body fat, increased lean muscle mass and better skin complexion.

According to sources, the cheque payment of more than RM1 million was made out to a “Datuk” doctor in February 2015 for the purchase of two sets of medication worth in excess of RM500,000 each.

A similar account number, from records said to be from the probes that allegedly linked Najib to a now-closed AmIslamic account (Kuala Lumpur branch), was visible on the contentious cheque issued to the doctor.

The account was believed to have been closed weeks after the payment was made.

The doctor had supposedly, during questioning, volunteered that the cheque was made out for the purchase of “two sets of medication”.

Another product was a 100 per cent plant-based health food to stimulate the human body to maintain youth, vigour and vitality, supposedly with anti-ageing properties.

It is understood that a cheque from the same account for RM100,000 was allegedly made out, also in February 2015, to a company for construction work at a house in Taman Duta.

The home is the known address of Najib and his wife. The payment was supposedly for work done on the sentry post and a room, among others.

The NST has also learnt that the doctor, who was vice-president of a society linked to his area of expertise, had resigned from his position, ostensibly to avoid dragging the society into controversy. -NST

‘Cash is king’ actually means cash for the people, says Najib

FOR former prime minister Najib Razak, the “cash” part in the phrase “cash is king” simply means money for the people.

That phrase, he said, did not mean giving cash out to buy support or as bribery.

“It’s true that I once mentioned the phrase to Dr Mahathir Mohamad when we were on good terms.  

“But what I meant was not about using money to buy support or to bribe people. It was to reflect our different views in the direction of the economy,” Najib said in a Facebook post today.

Dr Mahathir, who is prime minister again, said Najib told him in 2015 that “cash is king” to retain political support.

Defending himself today, Najib said “many people, who have commented on my Facebook page, did not get the real picture of what I meant with the phrase.”

He said at the time, Dr Mahathir did not agree with Barisan Nasional’s BR1M (1Malaysia People’s Aid), subsidy rationalisation, minimum wage and increasing salaries and bonuses for civil servants.

“Dr Mahathir believed that costs for labour and commerce, which were subsidised, should stay low to keep foreign investors in Malaysia. But I felt differently.

“I believed that investments needing cheap labour would still go to countries that can offer even cheaper labour than Malaysia and many leakages and smuggling would happen if we keep the subsidies.

“I chose investments that were technology and infrastructure-based, and those that would go for attractive tax systems – businesses that would create highly skilled and highly paid workers,” Najib said.

The money the government saved from subsidy rationalisation and from the goods and services tax (GST) were returned to the people in the form of BR1M, higher salaries and infrastructure projects, he said.

GST was introduced by the Najib administration in 2015 but has since been abolished and replaced with the sales and services tax (SST) by Dr Mahathir’s administration, following Pakatan Harapan’s takeover of Putrajaya.

Najib said “cash is king” meant that the government should not decide for the people what kind of subsidies they needed.

The government could offer subsidised petrol or sugar, but these would not benefit those who did not own cars or consume sugar, he said.

“We should give the people cash in the form of BR1M so they could decide for themselves what to spend on.

“It was my view that salaries and incomes in Malaysia had been too low for some time and needed to be increased. What advanced nation has workers with low salaries?” – https://www.themalaysianinsight.com

NST / THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT