Rosmah trial: Officer tells court PM’s office had ‘First Lady of Malaysia’ unit

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Rosmah Mansor

KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister’s Department had maintained a so-called “First Lady of Malaysia” division but rebranded this after news of its existence caused controversy, the High Court heard today.

Huzairi Zainal Abidin, an officer with the PMO, said this when testifying as the first witness against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor in her trial here for soliciting millions in bribes over an integrated project for solar photovoltaic hybrid system in Sarawak.

He said the renaming was because public knowledge of the division’s existence prompted the Opposition at the time to question why such an outfit was established.

As Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, the wife of the prime minister is an unofficial post that is only ceremonial.

Huzairi explained that the FLOM division came under the PMO as all its officers were seconded from there, but said the wife of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak did not maintain a physical office at the location.

“However, the issue became hotly debated due to public criticism that gave the impression that Datin Sri Rosmah had an office established specially for her whereas she had not held any position in the government.

“Moreover, the use of FLOM became a huge issue as there are parties who opined that FLOM should be used for Raja Permaisuri Agong.

“Following all this, FLOM had changed its name to Special Division on August or September of the same year to avoid any misunderstanding but the functions of the division remain the same,” he said when reading his witness statement.

In January 2011, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and then-Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong challenged Najib to explain the purpose of the FLOM division, whether public funds were used, and if Rosmah’s travels were paid for from this.

According to Huzairi, the division only came to be after Najib assumed the post of PM in 2009.

However, its creation was never formally documented as Huzairi said the orders to establish the division were entirely verbal.

He acknowledged that Rosmah had no position in the government simply for being Najib’s wife, but explained that her place was socially significant, especially for welfare work.

Huzairi was answering Rosmah’s lawyer, Azrul Zulkifli Stork, who asked him about the role of her former aide, Datuk Rizal Mansor, within the so-called FLOM division.

He explained that Rizal was part of the division and reported directly to its head, Datuk Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod, but Huzairi said he could not recall the aide’s specific title.

Rizal is also on trial with Rosmah in this case.

Rosmah is facing three charges for soliciting and accepting millions of ringgit in bribes in exchange for helping a company to secure a contract worth RM1.25 billion from the Education Ministry through direct negotiations.

The contract was for an integrated project for the solar photovoltaic hybrid system and for the operation and maintenance of generators for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.

Rosmah was charged on November 15, 2018, with demanding a RM187.5 million bribe — or 15 per cent of the contract’s value — from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd’s managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin, and with receiving RM1.5 million from him.

She was additionally charged on April 10, 2019, with receiving a RM5 million bribe in cash from Saidi via Rizal. – Malay Mail