Upset Najib appearing like villain, Rosmah tells him to take charge
An irate Rosmah Mansor was not pleased with the manner former premier Najib Abdul Razak was handling matters.
In a telephone call to Najib on July 27, 2016, she chided her husband for appearing like a villain as the latter remained calm throughout the conversation...
An irate Rosmah Mansor was not pleased with the manner former premier Najib Abdul Razak was handling matters.
In a telephone call to Najib on July 27, 2016, she chided her husband for appearing like a villain as the latter remained calm throughout the conversation.
She also told him to take charge and described his advisers as goons.
The recording was one of several revealed by MACC at a press conference in Putrajaya today. The commission said the recordings are authentic.
Click here to listen to the recording
Rosmah: Apa cerita? (What's the story) Can I advise you? (Shouting) Can I advise you on something?
Najib: Hang on... Yes, anything?
Rosmah: You, please don't. Listen to me, they tell you to slow down (MACC chief Abu Kassim Mohamed). Abu Kassim is making statements all over the place (inaudible). Taking pictures with Pak Lah (Najib's predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) and what not.
They are making him, (he is) looking like a hero, and you are the villain. And all these five people, can't they see their first priority is you, not anybody else?
Najib: Who are these people?
Rosmah: Your office lah. Shahlan is convinced, Tengku is convinced, Amhari is convinced. It's like we're all villains.
Najib: No, no, no, I allowed Azwan to make the statement, the impact is good.
Rosmah: No, Azwan, okay fine. Today Abu Kassim is in Berita Harian, and they allowed Abu Kassim to take a picture with Pak Lah.
And he has got the cheek to thank Pak Lah and everyone else besides you. That's not fair.
Najib: Hmm, hmm, understand.
Rosmah: (Inaudible)
Najib: No, I’ve already signed the letter for Dzul's (Dzulkifli Ahmad) appointment.
Rosmah then lashes out at then Special Committee on Corruption chairperson Abu Zahar Ujang, who in a Berita Harian report that day, said that a new MACC chief would be appointed from within the ranks.
However, Dzulkifli replaced Abu Kassim as MACC chief just four days later on Aug 1, 2016.
In an earlier recording from January that year, Dzulkifli, who was then with the Attorney-General's Chambers, had called Najib to inform him about an incriminating investigation paper.
MACC chief Latheefa Koya believes that Azwan referred to "Azwan Bro", which is the nickname of Senator Khairul Azwan Harun, who a day prior to Rosmah's call had lodged a police report against Abu Kassim and others for an alleged conspiracy to topple Najib.
Meanwhile, Najib's officers named by Rosmah are former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin, former press secretary Tengku Sariffuddin Tengku Ahmad and former political secretary Shahlan Ismail.
Also mentioned in the conversation are Rosmah's son Riza Aziz, United Arab Emirates crown prince Mohammed Zayed Al Nahyan, then IPIC chairperson Mansour Zayed al Nahyan, and Emirates royal family associate Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
The conversation in full is as follows:
Rosmah: Hi.
Najib: Hi.
Rosmah: Apa cerita? (What's the story) Can I advise you? (Shouting) Can I advise you on something?
Najib: Hang on... Yes, okay, anything?
Rosmah: You please don't. Listen to me. They tell you to slow down Abu Kassim and Abu Kassim is making statements all over the place (inaudible) convention, taking pictures with Pak Lah and what not.
They are making him, (he is) looking like a hero, and you are the villain. And all these five people, can't they see their first priority is you, not anybody else?
Najib: Who are these people?
Rosmah: Your office lah. Shahlan is convinced, Tengku is convinced, Amhari is convinced. It's like we're all villains.
Najib: No, no, no, I allowed Azwan to make the statement, the impact is good.
Rosmah: No, Azwan, okay fine. Today Abu Kassim is in Berita Harian, and they allowed Abu Kassim to take a picture with Pak Lah.
And he has got the cheek to thank Pak Lah and everyone else besides you. That's not fair.
Najib: Hmm, hmm, understand.
Rosmah: (Inaudible)
Najib: No, I’ve already signed the letter for Dzul's (Dzulkifli Ahmad) appointment.
Rosmah: And Abu Zahar can make that statement. Oh must be (inaudible), we know they have lobbied.
Najib: Abu Zahar. Don't make a statement, leave it be.
Rosmah: Yeah, but Abu Zahar in Berita Harian. Does he know what he is talking about or not?
Najib: That's the thing. Okay, okay.
Rosmah: I don't like this. Darling, you are the prime minister. You should take charge, not anybody else.
Najib: Yup, I understand
Rosmah: And you’ve got goons around you to advise you.
Because I told Shahlan, if you want to help, why didn't you help last week when the moment the thing happened? You should have come, approach me ‘Datin how can I help?’ (Inaudible)... after one week, I said you don't start telling me (inaudible). I don't understand.
Because someone lodged a complaint against Abu Kassim, he’s in trouble, oh then only you come and want to speak. Why didn't you speak one week ago?
Najib: Hmm, hmm.
Rosmah: For a week we have pain in our hearts, bodies, and mind.
Najib: Hmm hmm hmm.
Rosmah: Hmm.
Najib: Hmm.
Rosmah: So, I told Amhari the thing is not difficult. Just say that, withdraw the arbitration (inaudible). They have to trust us as much as we trust them.
Najib: And that's why Amhari told me. You go and talk to Khaldoon. Try to convince him this, there is no point in saying this. There is no point going for arbitration.
I said if you go for arbitration, everybody is going to get hurt
You see I can speak to the crown prince. The crown prince, (inaudible) will go back ‘oh, I need to consult Khaldoon' and we're back to that point.
Rosmah: You can’t blame him, that is his culture. So we have to work around the culture.
Maybe Khaldoon should come here and talk to you and Amhari and settle it. That’s how I feel. Not just talking over the telephone, it doesn't work.
Najib: We can invite him here, yeah, sure.
Rosmah: Invite him and sort it out once and for all. He knows us, not that he doesn't. He has eaten at our home and all.
Najib: That's a good idea, we can invite him here. Sure, I’ll tell him that.
Rosmah: You and Amhari sit down and sort it out (inaudible) and in the meantime, we can also sort out Riza.
Riza's problem is not difficult. His problem is just that somewhere along the line the thing is not completed, that's it.
Najib: Sure, sure.
Rosmah: I think the best thing is to tell Khaldoon. He can bring his lawyers and come down here. I think a lot of things can be resolved.
Rather than having Amhari speak to him when he is in LA (Los Angeles), day waiting for night, night waiting for day, you know.
Najib: I can suggest to Amhari, invite him here
Rosmah: Then we can tell crown prince, Khaldoon is here to talk to us and settle it all once and for all.
We’ve already wasted one week.
Najib: Yeah, yeah, we can invite him here. It's not wasted, a lot of things are moving already. These people want to see movement on the other side, the Chinese side. The Chinese side is moving already you see.
Rosmah: That's why darling, not many things can talk on the phone.
Najib: We can invite him here.
Rosmah: Invite him here immediately, then we tell the crown prince, tell him that Khaldoon is coming here we resolve (inaudible).
I know for sure Sheikh Mansour wants to solve this, (inaudible). I know the crown prince wants to solve this. But they are not the kind of people who sit down and talk to you see.
Najib: Hmm. Okay, we can do that.
Rosmah: They (inaudible) have money only.
Najib: I’ll speak to Amhari after this. I’ll tell him to invite Khaldoon
Rosmah: Or, or, you talk to Khaldoon. It's ok la darling, we don't have to (inaudible). Get this sorted out. Please come here, solve everything at one go (inaudible).
Right now, its day waiting for night, night waiting for day, there's a 24-hour gap.
Najib: Okay, okay, okay.
Rosmah: Please darling.
Najib: I’ll speak to Amhari.
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