JAKARTA - The 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption case by Najib Razak has caused a stir throughout Malaysia. The former Malaysian PM is considered to have embezzled the country's money in large amounts. However, it is not only Najib who has been highlighted.
Malaysian people believe that the results of corruption are also enjoyed by his wife, Rosmah Mansor. The accusation is justified. It's all because Rosma likes to collect luxury goods like expensive bags from world brands. The narrative made her known as the Malaysian version of Imelda Marcos.
Najib Razak is known as Malaysia's great politician. He was able to convince all Malaysians that he was an anti-corruption figure. He also promised to eradicate corruption when he had a high position.
The wish came true. Najib was able to become the Prime Minister of Malaysia since 2009. Instead of immediately eradicating corruption, Najib was accused of corruption in 2013. All his political opponents considered Najib to use money from corruption as campaign funds in the 2013 election.
A political contest that brought him back as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. It all started because Najib received suspicious money transfers to his personal account. The delivery took place several times between March and April 2013. The amount was not small: 680 million US dollars.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) or Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) has begun tracking Najib's money. The flow of funds is suspected to be the result of corruption in the National Investment Fund, 1MDB - a state-owned investment company. However, Najib was difficult to touch when he was Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Najib only got a slap in the face when he was ousted from the Malaysian PM's seat in 2018. Najib is a suspect in the 1MDB corruption case. However, the authorities suspect that the flow of funds also flowed to his wife, Rosmah Mansor. The suspicion is justified. Rosmah is known as a hedonist.
Rosmah often shows hedonism in public. A collection of luxury goods in the form of expensive bags and jewelry. Take for example one of his bags made by Hermes reaching a price of 300 thousand US dollars.
The Malaysian KPK then confiscated 567 handbags, 423 watches, 14 tiaras (crowns), and cash belonging to Najib Razak's family. The total price for the bags alone reached 13 million US dollars or in the current rupiah exchange rate reached Rp217 billion. However, the price of other goods has not been determined because the authorities are overwhelmed.
This made Rosmah known as the Imelda Marcos of Malaysia. A figure of the former First Lady of the Philippines who used money from corruption to buy luxury goods such as expensive shoes.
"We can't do the counting at the scene because there are too many," said the head of the Malaysian police's commercial crime division, Amar Singh, as quoted by the BBC website, June 27, 2018.
Rosmah's sentenceThe seizure of Rosmah's luxury goods shook Malaysia. The narrative of Rosmah as the reincarnation of Imelda Marcos emerged everywhere. This condition made the Malaysian people disgusted. They want Rosmah to be immediately punished for corruption.
The Malaysian KPK officially arrested Rosmah on October 3, 2018. Rosmah was accused of being involved in 17 charges related to money laundering in the 1MDB corruption case. Instead of being charged with 1MDB corruption, Rosmah was first charged with another case.
Rosmah was instead found guilty of corruption in the bribery case on September 1, 2022. Rosmah was found to have asked for a bribe of 187.5 million ringgit from contractor Saidi Abang Samsudin. The bribe is believed to have secured a government project related to solar energy worth 1.2 billion ringgit.
As a result, the Kuala Lumpur High Court's panel of judges sentenced him to 10 years in prison and a fine of 970 million ringgit or around Rp3.2 trillion. Rosmah was also free to move outside the prison because he was able to pay the bail while awaiting the follow-up legal process of appeal.
"For me, the courtroom is where we get justice. I always tell my lawyers to tell the truth and never lie. I'm surprised how things can spin and turn and make me a victim."
"I never influenced my husband. Every time I opened my mouth, my husband would say: Rosmah, you are only my wife, don't interfere. I am the victim of all this. You have done it to my husband and you want my family to suffer," said Rosmah as quoted by the lamantempo.co, 1 September 2022.
However, the verdict still made Rosmah not admit to his actions. He considers himself to have not received justice in court. Miraculously, Rosmah was free and innocent of a separate indictment case related to the 1MDB corruption TPPU on December 19, 2024.
Rosmah is happy. She feels she has gotten justice. The decision made all Malaysians question the court's verdict. They think that if Rosmah relies on her husband's salary, she won't be able to buy expensive bags and other jewelry.
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