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KUALA LUMPUR – A former assistant to the wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told a court on Wednesday (September 9) that he received RM100,000 (S $ 32,800) a month from Rosmah Mansor in 2012 to pay a team of “cyber troops”. to monitor content on social media and defend it from online attacks.
“This team was also responsible for countering and explaining every slander, claim and accusation towards Datin Seri Rosmah to the public,” said Datuk Rizal Mansor, who is not related to Rosmah.
The witness was quoted by Malay Mail as telling the court in the Rosmah corruption trial: “The cyber police were operating with funds provided by Datin Seri Rosmah herself. She gave me RM100,000 in cash every month to fund the equipment.” .
Rosmah, 69, faces one count of requesting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving a total of RM6.5 million in exchange for helping a company, Jepak Holdings, win a RM1.25 billion solar project for schools in Sarawak.
Mr. Rizal himself was initially charged with four counts of soliciting and receiving bribes involving RM218 million for Rosmah for the same project. But the charges were dropped and he was acquitted in January of this year.
Rizal, 46, told Kuala Lumpur High Court on Wednesday that his main responsibilities were to protect Rosmah’s image and reputation, as it was under close scrutiny from the public.
Rizal, the 21st witness for the prosecution, told the court that Rosmah was often linked to public perceptions, such as being the royal power behind Najib and leading an extravagant lifestyle, according to Malay Mail online news.
She said Rosmah in 2012 told her to set up a team of cyber-soldiers, individuals who would spread political propaganda online for a fee, which she would pay.
Rizal said he was hired in 2009 in a special department in the Prime Minister’s Department that was then called the office of the First Lady of Malaysia.
He had worked as a communications executive at the giant Malaysian media group Media Prima and was in charge of media relations for the prime minister’s wife. He said he worked for Rosmah until mid-2018, when the Barisan Nasional government was ousted from power.
Rizal said he fled Malaysia after the general election because he feared the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would arrest him.
“I panicked and decided to flee to Jakarta, Indonesia,” he told the court, quoted by Malaysiakini.
“Two or three weeks after that, the MACC contacted me to appear at the MACC office to facilitate their investigation,” he said.
He returned to the country and was arrested by the agency when he showed up at their office.
Mr. Rizal also told the court that Rosmah was feared in the civil service due to her reputation as the “fierce wife” of then-Prime Minister Najib, but this was simply his perception, The Star reported online.
Rizal said that Rosmah was seen as the spouse who could influence Najib’s decision and action.
“In the eyes of public servants, Rosmah has the ability to influence the prime minister to transfer government servants who oppose or challenge her applications to lesser positions, or in other words, to put them in ‘cold rooms ‘or they move them to places further away than where they live, “Rizal said.
He acquired this insight, he said, when he interacted with public officials, but said he did not believe it to be true at the time and attributed it to rumors that were trying to ruin Rosmah’s reputation.
“As his special officer, he would always defend his image to these people,” he said.
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