The opposition pact urges the ‘First Lady of Malaysia’ to answer claims she was involved in changing a statutory declaration implicating her husband in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.
PETALING JAYA: The prime minister’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, must answer claims that she told carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan to look for P Balasubramanian after the private investigator’s statutory declaration (SD) was made public, said Pakatan Rakyat.
On Wednesday, Deepak revealed the identity of his “female friend” who allegedly called up many people for favours on the day Balasubramaniam disclosed his first SD linking Najib to the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Since then, the female friend, Rosmah, has kept silent, but her detractors in the opposition coalition decry her move as being unfair to the contending parties as well as to the public.
When asked to comment, PAS lawmaker Dzulkefly Ahmad pointed out that since Rosmah was the “First Lady of Malaysia”, these were grave allegations and could demolish all that was left of her credibility as well as her husband’s, the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
“We are coming this close to an election that is the most critical by the way of a possibility of regime change,” the Kuala Selangor MP told FMT.
“So I think it’s only fair for all players that she immediately come out to challenge Deepak if she truly and honestly thinks that all these are a pack of lies concocted by him and whoever else contriving to bring her and her husband down.
“This is serious because it involves the prime minister, the first lady of Malaysia, the brother of the PM and whatnot.”
Dzulkefly was referring to Deepak’s claims that the latter had met with Nazim Tun Razak, who was representing Najib, and Balasubramaniam at a shopping mall after Rosmah had asked the carpet dealer for help.
According to Deepak, Nazim asked the private investigator what he wanted in return for making the second SD, which retracts all references of Najib’s purported link with Altantuya made in the first SD.
The deal was eventually closed and Nazim allegedly called Najib to arrange for a lawyer to draft the second SD at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
Deafening silence
“It will only get worse by way of the revelation of the exposé coming this way,” Dzulkefly said.
He further declared that all the prime minister’s talk of transformation, his apologies and emphasis on Islam would “go out the window” and “was finished” should the duo continue to keep up the silence.
“Stop this deafening silence, because, in this case, it is definitely not golden,” he stressed.
He said neither Najib nor Rosmah would be able to sweep the issue under the carpet as Malaysians were a discerning, thinking lot.
“You can’t avoid the perception of the rakyat, especially the discerning, thinking rakyat on which this election stands on.”
He suggested that instead of ignoring the issue, she should pursue a legal case against Deepak to prove such allegations were untrue.
“This is killing them softly, so if she truly feels this is downright lies, come out and say something to challenge Deepak… perhaps a legal suit,” said Dzulkefely.
‘Stop destroying your husband’s image’
Meanwhile, PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin called on Rosmah to fulfil her duty as a wife by clearing both her name and, just as importantly, her husband’s name.
“Rosmah needs to stop destroying her husband’s image,” the Ampang MP told FMT.
“She has been destroying the prime minister’s reputation with her past actions, and now it will be further destroyed with these serious allegations by Deepak.”
Zuraida said that, as the prime minister’s wife, Rosmah should be building up her husband’s image, but was instead smearing it.
“We have not heard anything from Rosmah; no attempts to straighten the facts out, to respond on the matter.
“It is a very serious allegation because it involves the murder of Altantuya, so Rosmah and the PM should come out with a statement.”
Zuraida added that Rosmah should not use the soon-to-be released biography as an excuse to keep silent,
as the allegations had been around for far too long.
According to Bernama, the 164-page book will be priced at RM150 and distributed next month. It is expected to negate the “unfounded allegations” against her.
Meanwhile, DAP lawmaker Tony Pua also implored the duo to come out in the open, adding that they could not keep silent forever in the face of Deepak’s unending exposé.
“They must answer. They cannot keep silent, there have been too many allegations on the matter.
“Tell us the truth,” urged Pua.
He said that while he had not been following the case completely, any allegations that could tarnish the prime minister’s reputation as well as that of his direct associates must be dealt with immediately.
‘Rosmah’s denial won’t change anything’
But PKR vice-president Tian Chua went against the grain by saying that Rosmah’s response was irrelevant as he already predicted she would deny everything.
Instead, he said the onus was on the police force and the Attorney-General to take action on all the revelations coming forth from Deepak, as it involved criminal elements such as bribery, coercion and the issuance of false statements.
“What do you expect Rosmah to do? She will of course come out and deny. What else can Rosmah say? Even if she says, ‘oh yes, it was true that I was involved’, it is meaningless until it is translated into action by the police.
“Only the police can investigate and verify all these claims,” the Batu MP told FMT.
“If Deepak and Balasubramaniam are lying, charge them in court, if it’s true Nazim and Rosmah are involved, bring them to court.”
He said there was a bigger issue involved here beyond politics and elections, and that the public should be spared all the “soap opera”.
“What we have now is two men waiting in prison to be hanged, Balasubramaniam claiming he was victimised, and Altantuya’s father crying for help.
“These are the real issues,” he stressed.
“So to me, my biggest concern is, why are the police keeping quiet, why has the AG not come forward to charge Rosmah, Deepak and Balasubramaniam?”
He added that even if Rosmah were to deny her involvement in the matter, it would not change his view.
“My views will only change if the police enter, investigate and found conclusive evidence that it was a sham,” said Chua.
Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 39 (hooded),
and Chief Insp Azilah Hadri, 34, were represented by counsel Kitson
Foong and counsel J Kuldeep Kumar respectively, while the prosecution
was represented by deputy public prosecutor Manoj Kurup.
Deepak quipped he would not use the infamous words "It looks like me, it sounds like me, but it is not me" to defend himself.
This
is because during the clandestine meeting, he named members of Prime
Minister Najib Abdul Razak's family whom he had paid off to grease the
land deal he claimed a senior Wanita Umno leader cheated him of.
The
unnamed Umno supreme council member had earlier called to meet him at a
hotel in Subang Jaya on that day - the second day of the Umno General
Assembly.
"Why I had taken this step? Was anyone behind me? (Was it) the Muhyiddin (Yassin) faction? The opposition?"
"The
people hope that the prime minister will be responsible enough to face
criticism and recommendations from the public and not merely act to find
cheap political publicity," PKR Youth information chief Lee Khai Loon (right) said in a statement today.
In another statement today, DAP's Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo (left) also called on Najib and the attorney-general (AG) not to remain silent on the Alantuya case and to investigate it further.