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I ran the country, not my wife, says Najib

Bede Hong5 years ago8th Jan 2020News
Najib src 09
Former prime minister Najib Razak says his wife Rosmah Mansor might have given her opinions on his work but he made the final decisions as the government's leader. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Nazir Sufari, January 8, 2020.
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NAJIB Razak has brushed aside suggestions that his wife, Rosmah Mansor, told him how to run the country during his tenure as prime minister.

At a press conference after the SRC International hearing today, Najib denied a reporter’s suggestion that his wife scolded him over a 2016 phone conversation relating to the appointment of former MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad.

“There was no scolding,” Najib told reporters outside the court.

“The conversation between my wife and I is private. You are allowed to talk privately with your wife, right? I mean what’s wrong with that? That is the right of every citizen. We can discuss whatever, as long as we don’t leak (confidential matters).

“We were discussing everyday affairs and all. It’s a normal thing,” said the Pekan MP who was accompanied by his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

On another suggestion that the phone conversation released today appeared as though she was discussing national affairs and telling him how to run the government, Najib replied: “Everyone can give their opinion. But I make the decisions.”

Najib and Rosmah are currently facing 42 and 20 charges respectively for abuse of power, money laundering and corruption.

On whether the audio clips of his phone conversations can be used against him in his ongoing trials, Najib replied: “We will study it first, maybe some of the content might be useful for us in our defence.” – January 8, 2020.

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