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Wednesday, 05 Feb 2020 04:26 PM MYT
BY DANIAL DZULKIFLY
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — 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, who was also Rosmah’s aide, had been charged together with her but was acquitted on January 8 after the prosecution withdrew the charges against him.
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.* Note: A previous edition of the story contained an error which has since been corrected.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/02/05/rosmah-trial-officer-says-pmo-changed-first-lady-of-malaysia-unit-after-con/1834766
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Special dept in PMO set up for Rosmah — a first for any premier’s wife, says witness
Syahirah Syed Jaafar / theedgemarkets.com
February 05, 2020
KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 5): A dedicated office was set up in the Prime Minister’s Department solely for the affairs of Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor during the nine years that her husband, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was premier.
That was the first time an office was set up for the wife of a prime minister, the High Court learned today.
This was revealed by Huzairi Zainal Abidin, Director of Secretariat & Services Management Division in the Prime Minister’s office, who is the first prosecution witness in Rosmah’s graft trial involving a solar project in Sarawak which started today.
In his witness statement, Huzairi, 42, told the court that Rosmah had no official position in the government but as the wife of the Prime Minister, she played a specific role in welfare work and accompanied him in official government ceremonies.
As a result, Rosmah was given the assistance of a private secretary or special officer to plan her schedule for such work, as is given to all spouses of prime ministers.
However, shortly after Najib took office in April 2009, Huzairi said he was instructed by the then-Chief Secretary to the prime minister, Tan Sri Ab Aziz Kassim, to set up a division to manage Rosmah’s work schedule, which included attending government events with the prime minister.
“I was ordered to name this section as the First Lady of Malaysia (FLOM) although I don’t remember who gave the order.
“Initially the officer stationed at FLOM was Datuk Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod. She is the Special Officer of the PM assigned to coordinate matters involving Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as PM’s wife. She [Siti Azizah] then asked for more officers in this division and she subsequently became the head of the division responsible for assigning those officers,” Huzairi said.
Amongst those working in the division was Datuk Rizal Mansor, he said. Rizal was Rosmah’s aide and was originally jointly charged with her until charges were withdrawn by the prosecution.
At the time, the FLOM division was included in the directory on the Prime Minister’s Office website.
“However, this became a hot issue amidst criticism from the public since an office was specially set up for Rosmah even though she had no office in the government. Some also regarded the FLOM title as being reserved for the Raja Permaisuri Agung,” he said.
The trial, which was supposed to start on Monday, was adjourned for two days due to Rosmah’s ill health. She filed a medical certificate citing neck and back pain, and was hospitalised in a private hospital.
In his opening statement, deputy public prosecutor Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram said the prosecution will attempt to prove that Rosmah solicited RM6.5 million in bribes related to a solar hybrid project in Sarawak from Saidi Abang Samsudin, who was a managing director in Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd.
See also:
Rosmah arrives at High Court
Sri Ram’s opening statement at Rosmah’s school solar power graft trial
Rosmah in hospital, putting in doubt whether graft trial will start tomorrow
Sri Ram: Rosmah’s only problem is an overdose of wealth and publicity
Rosmah suffers from ‘life-threatening’ pain in the neck
Rizal Mansor’s charges dropped, may be called as prosecution witness against Rosmah
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https://twitter.com/JailThemAllNOW/status/1224915595201695744?s=19
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