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Thursday 8 January 2015

So it was golfing and shopping in Thailand after all

Looks like the speculation surrounding the whereabouts of our PM and his wife are true - the couple was in Thailand on a private trip.

FMT


KUALA LUMPUR: The Bangkok Post has put to rest the endless speculation surrounding our prime minister and his wife by reporting that the couple was indeed in Thailand recently on a private New Year’s vacation and to meet with General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Quoting a source close to General Prayut, the paper said on Tuesday that Najib Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor made the trip to Thailand on January 2, where they shopped, played golf and stayed the night at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok.

The source also said the trip was kept under wraps on account of etiquette as it was of a private nature.

The paper also disclosed that Najib lunched with Prayut at the general’s residence in Kesakomol where the two discussed a variety of issues including that of dual citizens and border crossings by Malaysian vans into Thailand.

“The Malaysian prime minister had to tweet that he had lunch with Gen Prayut to thank Thailand for donating 500 tonnes of rice to help flood-hit Malaysian victims and to exchange views on flood solving and restoration.

“This is seen as trying to avoid criticism about his trip. Thailand did not disclose news about his visit for etiquette reasons as he went to holiday here” added the source.

Najib and Rosmah have been under intense scrutiny and criticism in light of the devastating floods in Malaysia as neither was present to help deal with the national crisis until much later.

Najib was also accused of sneaking off to play golf with US President Barack Obama until a Washington Post photograph of him and Obama on the greens forced Najib to explain it away as merely “golfing diplomacy”.

Cutting short his Hawaii trip all the same, criticism reached new heights when the focus turned to Rosmah instead, with many questioning her absence in the country and that of the government jet.

Photos of a woman resembling Rosmah shopping in upmarket Bangkok Central Chidlom Mall later surfaced online, with many stating their disbelief that the first lady was not by her husband’s side delivering aid or meeting with flood victims back home.


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