An unidentified individual had allegedly sent RM600,000 through an errant money changer to Rosmah Mansor when the prime minister’s wife was in Dubai in August last year.

According to PKR MP Tian Chua, he has the documents to prove the illegal transaction.

NONE Uncertain what the money was used for, the opposition politician however quipped, "Most probably it was for shopping since she is famous for that."

Speaking at a press conference in Petaling Jaya this morning, Tian Chua also accused two corporate figures of a similar offence.

He claimed that tycoon Abu Sahid Mohamed sent RM22.2 million to United Kingdom between June and August 2008, through money changer Salamath Ali. This was purportedly for the purchase of properties.

Tian also alleged that businessman Syed Mohammed Syed Nursin had wired RM1.19 million to UK via Salamath Ali also for the purpose of buying properties.

Syed Mohammed is the younger brother of new sugar tycoon, Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary.

Tian said he has copies of the show-cause letters sent to the money changers by Bank Negara, asking them to explain the illegal remittance.

Chua: Why no action against VIPs?

Speaking to reporters in Parliament later, Tian Chua reiterated he was disappointed that Bank Negara was only taking action against the money changers and not against individuals who use the illegal channel to transfer funds.

"I am not satisfied... even if they get blacklisted, they can use another name, so that won't solve the problem. I want to know why no actions were taken against the individuals who have broken the law," he said.

Last month, Tian Chua had revealed that Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohd Hasan could have broken the country's banking laws by allegedly transferring funds amounting to RM10 million in 2008 through Salamath Ali - one of the errant money changers named today.

Last week, Bank Negara said it had revoked the licences of 41 money changers under the Money-Changing Act 1998. No reasons were given for the decision.

Under section 30 (1)(b) of the Money-Changing Act 1998, any remittance or transfer of funds outside Malaysia through money changes is deemed illegal.

The Act stipulated that money-changers are only allowed to conduct the business of exchanging foreign currencies against ringgit or against other foreign currencies within Malaysia.

Malaysians who want to transfer money abroad must use the services offered by commercial banking institutions or the 45 non-bank remittance service providers approved by Bank Negara.

No stranger to controversies

Both Rosmah and her husband, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, have been dogged by the on-going controversy involving the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu three years ago.

More recently, both were accused of using a family member to intimate private investigator P Balasubramaniam to alter his statutory declaration which alleged that Najib had close ties with the murdered woman.

NONE Both husband and wife have brushed aside the allegations that Najib's younger brother Mohamed Nazim had coerced Balasubramaniam to hush up.

Last month, Rosmah received a RM7 million 'reward' from a Saudi prince after she found a precious box belonging to him in a cruise boat carrying Najib and his family while on holiday in the south of France in August.

According to Rosmah, RM3.5 million of the "reward" would be handed over to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to carry out the Permata Smart School programme, while RM2.98 million would be kept in a Bakti special fund to help finance medical treatment for needy women and children with chronic diseases.