Rosmah as defiant as Najib, says she wants normal life to resume

She would like things to be over so she can move on.

Belmont Lay | May 21, 2018, 03:33 AM

Rosmah Mansor, wife of Malaysia's former primer minister Najib Razak, has spoken up for the first time since her husband was ousted from political office.

And her tone is one of defiance.

Relaxed, doing her own thing

According to an exclusive with the Malay Mail on May 19, Rosmah said she is staying relaxed amid police searches of her home and family residences as investigations into the affairs of 1MDB continue.

Speaking from her house in Jalan Langgak Duta that she shares with her husband and many domestic helpers, she also said she looked forward to returning to a normal life with her family.

“We are taking it quite well. I think we’re quite relaxed, being a family of politicians. This is just one of those trials and tribulations, hazards of being in politics,” she reportedly said.

“It’s another life, but I’m not complaining. I’m not asking for this kind of life, but it’s a much more relaxed life when I can do my thing."

"When I feel like sleeping, I can sleep. When I feel like waking up, I can wake up."

“But I would like this to be over as soon as possible, because we want to move on with our lives.”

Protect her family

In the interview, she also stressed that her focus was now to protect her family and herself.

She hoped that the family’s troubles would be over soon.

Throughout the interview, Rosmah was accompanied by a few aides and lawyers Geethan Ram Vincent and M. Puravalen.

Asked to be treated fairly

Rosmah also asked the police to treat her and her family with courtesy, which she said they are entitled to as Malaysians.

Rosmah said she is a strong believer in the phrase "a person is innocent until proven guilty".

“I can take all those pre-dawn raids. I understand,” she said.

“I believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Otherwise, we have to be treated like normal human beings. The right to dignity.”

A statement has been issued by the family urging the police to stop the leaks on social media, which showed photographs of the cartons seized by police.

Najib has also issued a statement urging that the police conduct themselves professionally.

Who is Rosmah?

Born in 1951 in Kuala Pilah, a small town in Peninsular Malaysia's southwestern state of Negri Sembilan, Rosmah had humble beginnings.

Her 2013 biography stated she studied sociology and anthropology at a local public university.

She then attained a masters degree from Louisiana State University in the United States.

As a student, she faced financial difficulties, her biography stated.

She earned RM800 a month at her first job at an agriculture bank.

In 1987 she stopped working to focus on starting a family with Najib, who was then Malaysia's youth and sports minister.

When Najib became prime minister, Rosmah did charity work, providing aid to underprivileged children, women's support groups, and health and sports advocacy.

Malaysia's establishment-leaning press were known to play up her altruistic undertakings.

Any talk of her lavish lifestyle would be prone to blow backs.

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In 2017, her lawyers even threatened to sue anyone who produced “false, malicious publications or posting” against her.

This occurred a day after the United States allegation over Rosmah's US$27 million purchase of a pink diamond.

Her biography ended with an appeal, where Rosmah asked Malaysians to accept her as she is: “I hope people accept the reality that I am a regular human being. I am not perfect.”