MACC report filed over diamond ring
By Athi Shankar, FMT
GEORGE TOWN: A report has been filed with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the RM74 million ring allegedly acquired by the prime minister’s wife, Rosmah Mansor.
The report was filed by pro-Pakatan Rakyat NGO Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) president Badrul Hisham Shaharin.
Badrul said MACC had a public duty to ensure that Malaysians don’t suffer from the “Filipino Imelda Marcos” syndrome.
He urged the commission to carry out an immediate open investigation into the report, adding that there was an “abundance of evidence”.
“We don’t want a repeat of the Philippine fiasco where the self-styled First Lady Imelda cleaned public funds for selfish lavish spending,” added the Rembau PKR division chief.
Yesterday, pro-Pakatan bloggers claimed that the ring known as “Natural Fancy Blue Gray Cushion Cut Diamond Ring” was sent to Rosmah by the New York-based fine jewellers Jacob & Co in April this year.
The ring allegedly passed through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport customs and was cleared by a customs operations manager known as A Krishnan.
Screenshots of the alleged customs computer displays also revealed that the ring did not have import duties imposed on it. The same display also indicated the value of the ring to be US$24.4 million.
Today, another blogger published photographs of Rosmah wearing bangles that appeared strikingly similar to those made by Jacob & Co, which industry experts claimed could cost a fortune.
‘Don’t sweep this under the carpet’
Meanwhile, Badrul challenged Rosmah to publicly deny the allegations. “Where did she get that much of money? She must clear her name,” he demanded.
He also questioned whether Rosmah’s husband, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, “abused” his position as finance minister to exempt the ring from taxes.
