Permata Boondoggle

• 25 July 2017
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Answering, or rather evading, a parliamentary question about a visit to London by Permata chief Rosmah Mansor (coincidentally wife of arch thief Najib Razak) the doubtful Puan Azalina ,a minister in Najib’s office, stated that the trip to London by Rosmah and others was funded by Najib’s office.

Of course it was not to be expected that Rosmah would pay her own costs. That privilege is reserved for others and, as often as not, involves the settlement of diamond seller’s invoices; from one source or another. SRC provided credit cards for instance.

Without expressing any views on the utility or otherwise of this private educational initiative it must be stressed that it IS private and non-governmental. Why, therefore, were public funds used to pay for this jolly and how much. Here Miss Azalina seems to have found herself on more difficult ground.

If the visit had had any useful purpose or outcome she could have cited facts and figures. She did not. Why not? None to cite? In fact this trip was in all probability just a chance to look round the jewelers and handbag shops of London, at Malaysian taxpayer’s expense, to pick up what Rosmah seems to treat as “unconsidered trifles”

If she has to do this the costs should be carried by Najib personally whose stolen billions would regard a hundred such trips as a mere fleabite.