First Lady of Malaysia name for unit dropped after public criticism, Rosmah trial told
Ho Kit Yen
-February 5, 2020 4:42 PM
FMT
A witness says the public believed that Rosmah Mansor, who did not hold any government position, had an office in the PMO after the unit’s directory was put up on the PMO website.
KUALA LUMPUR: An officer in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) told the High Court in Rosmah Mansor’s corruption trial that the department had to change the name of the First Lady of Malaysia’s (FLOM) Unit after the then opposition made a fuss about it.
Huzairi Zainal Abidin, a director in the Secretariat and Services Management Division, said the PMO came to know about the backlash over the FLOM unit after the unit’s directory was put up on the PMO website.
“That was supposed to be internal,” he said when questioned by ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram on how the department knew about the public criticism.
The witness added that seeing the directory, the public seemed to believe that Rosmah, who did not hold any government position, had an office in PMO.
Huzairi also said that the name FLOM for the unit came about after Najib Razak became the prime minister in 2009.
“However, there was no documented instruction on the FLOM unit’s set up as the unit was formed based on an oral instruction,” he said.
Huzairi said Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod, who was then the prime minister’s special officer, was initially placed in the FLOM unit in charge of managing the affairs of Rosmah.
The witness said he recalled several officers as having served in the FLOM unit, such G Vimala, Rizal Mansor, Nurul Adni Zainul Ariff and Nurul Rosemiemmy Khasimi @ Mohamed, but he was unsure what their duties were.
Huzairi told the court the officers in the FLOM unit were paid by the PMO and that the officers reported to Azizah.
Questioned by lawyer Azrul Zulkifli Stork, representing Rosmah, on whether the decision to change the name of the unit from FLOM to “special unit” was to avoid negative political perception, Huzairi answered in the affirmative.
“Some people felt that only the Raja Pemaisuri Agong can use the FLOM title,” the witness said.
To a question on whether Rizal’s “real boss” was Azizah and not Rosmah, Huzairi said Rizal reported to Azizah. Rizal was initially charged with Rosmah but the prosecution later withdrew the charge against him.
The hearing continues before High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on Thursday, after lawyer Jagjit Singh told the court that Rosmah was not feeling well.
Rosmah has been slapped with three charges of corruption for allegedly soliciting RM187.5 million from Saidi Abang Samsudin, managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, as an inducement to help the company secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project and Maintenance and Operation of Genset/Diesel for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, worth a total of RM1.25 billion through direct negotiation from the education ministry.
She was also accused of receiving bribes amounting to RM6.5 million from Saidi between 2016 and 2017.
A witness says the public believed that Rosmah Mansor, who did not hold any government position, had an office in the PMO after the unit’s directory was put up on the PMO website.KUALA LUMPUR: An officer in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) told the High Court in Rosmah Mansor’s corruption trial that the department had to change the name of the First Lady of Malaysia’s (FLOM) Unit after the then opposition made a fuss about it.
Huzairi Zainal Abidin, a director in the Secretariat and Services Management Division, said the PMO came to know about the backlash over the FLOM unit after the unit’s directory was put up on the PMO website.
“That was supposed to be internal,” he said when questioned by ad hoc prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram on how the department knew about the public criticism.
The witness added that seeing the directory, the public seemed to believe that Rosmah, who did not hold any government position, had an office in PMO.
Huzairi also said that the name FLOM for the unit came about after Najib Razak became the prime minister in 2009.
“However, there was no documented instruction on the FLOM unit’s set up as the unit was formed based on an oral instruction,” he said.
Huzairi said Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod, who was then the prime minister’s special officer, was initially placed in the FLOM unit in charge of managing the affairs of Rosmah.
The witness said he recalled several officers as having served in the FLOM unit, such G Vimala, Rizal Mansor, Nurul Adni Zainul Ariff and Nurul Rosemiemmy Khasimi @ Mohamed, but he was unsure what their duties were.
Huzairi told the court the officers in the FLOM unit were paid by the PMO and that the officers reported to Azizah.
Questioned by lawyer Azrul Zulkifli Stork, representing Rosmah, on whether the decision to change the name of the unit from FLOM to “special unit” was to avoid negative political perception, Huzairi answered in the affirmative.
“Some people felt that only the Raja Pemaisuri Agong can use the FLOM title,” the witness said.
To a question on whether Rizal’s “real boss” was Azizah and not Rosmah, Huzairi said Rizal reported to Azizah. Rizal was initially charged with Rosmah but the prosecution later withdrew the charge against him.
The hearing continues before High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on Thursday, after lawyer Jagjit Singh told the court that Rosmah was not feeling well.
Rosmah has been slapped with three charges of corruption for allegedly soliciting RM187.5 million from Saidi Abang Samsudin, managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, as an inducement to help the company secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project and Maintenance and Operation of Genset/Diesel for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, worth a total of RM1.25 billion through direct negotiation from the education ministry.
She was also accused of receiving bribes amounting to RM6.5 million from Saidi between 2016 and 2017.
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