The Bizarre Scandal Engulfing Malaysia's Big-Spending First Lady

Let’s start with the bags. A collection of Hermés Birkin bags, to be exact, purportedly worth at least six figures, often seen on the arm of an unapologetic Rosmah Mansor, the first lady of Malaysia. Continue to the alleged $6 million luxury shopping spree, revealed last fall in a trove of bank statements. The pièce de résistance? The U.S. Department of Justice investigation into her husband for pilfering hundreds of millions of Malaysian taxpayer dollars from a government investment fund, in a globe-spanning scandal that even reached Leonardo DiCaprio. Flyspecking the wardrobe choices of first ladies is nothing new, but the bloggers’ obsession with “Auntie Rosy” Mansor has more in common with Imelda Marcos’ shoes than Michelle Obama’s Versace gowns. After all, the ostentation is tied to the alleged thievery of Prime Minister Najib Razak, which both have forcefully denied, and it will play some sort of role in a looming reelection campaign — whether positive or negative. For now, this bouffant-sporting, sharply accessorized political spouse stands by her man and aggressively quashes criticism. “I have bought some jewelry and dresses with my own money,” she wrote in her 2013 autobiography. “What is wrong with that?” Rosmah, whose office did not comment, grew up in the suburbs and attended top Malaysian schools before heading to the U.S. to earn a master’s degree at Louisiana State University. After working in banking and real estate, she hitched her star to Najib in 1987 — the second marriage for both — when Najib was minister of culture, youth and sports. It was a smart bet: Najib’s father and uncle had both been prime minister, and Najib rose to the post himself in 2009. Marriage was Rosmah’s best chance at political power, as opportunities are limited for Malaysian women, with the country’s parliament now only 10 percent female. Observers say Najib’s public equanimity can be traced to his wife. “When the time comes — and it may have done so once or twice already — that Najib just feels tempted to say, ‘Aw, shit, shucks’ and give up, go home, play golf or whatever, she just will not let him,” says Clive Kessler, Malaysia expert and emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. “She is the steel in his political soul, the platinum reinforcement in his backbone, the strength of his resistance, of his refusal to capitulate, even give an inch.” And despite the biting criticism, she does have public support. “It’s very easy to get stuck in our little bubbles through the internet — Facebook in particular — thinking she is this highly unpopular figure,” says Sonia Randhawa, director of the Centre for Independent Journalism in Malaysia. “There’s a positive Rosmah factor. She’s seen as being an aspirational figure, someone that the other women aspire to be like. She’s seen as being glamorous.” No doubt that first ladies today wear more hats than ever. They’re expected to pick up a policy initiative that dovetails with their husbands’ agenda but doesn’t overshadow it. They’re scrutinized for their appearance but can’t go over the top. “All the double standards that apply to women apply to first ladies times 10,” says Cora Neumann, founder of the Global First Ladies’ Alliance. “It’s so easy to criticize them.” In typical first lady style, Rosmah has set up hundreds of early childhood centers throughout Malaysia, but even those efforts have been tainted by scandal. In September, shortly before Rosmah’s Permata organization was to be honored by the United Nations in New York, the award was abruptly rescinded because of the first lady’s reputation. Accepting a lifetime-achievement award for her children’s work in Kuala Lumpur in December, she used a bit of humor to deflect the criticism: “I would like to stress that whatever budget we receive from the government does not go into my handbag.” There can be consequences for those who see Rosmah differently. “She’s seen as vindictively going after people who criticize her,” says Bridget Welsh, a political analyst in Southeast Asia and editor of The End of UMNO? Essays on Malaysia’s Dominant Party. “She takes everything very personally.” That’s particularly true for the media. The government has yanked licenses for multiple newspapers after tough reporting on the scandal. The famous political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, popularly known as Zunar, was arrested for sedition in November. Media pressure, Randhawa says, is often tied to criticism of Rosmah. As Zunar told The Hollywood Reporter in September: “In Malaysian newspapers, there are two individuals that cannot be drawn. The first is Rosmah, and the second is the Prophet Muhammad.” The scandal stems from a debt-riddled government investment fund known as 1Malaysia Development Berhad, founded by Najib. According to the DOJ, stolen 1MDB funds passed through, among other entities, Goldman Sachs and the production company behind DiCaprio’s Wolf of Wall Street — which is owned by Riza Aziz, Rosmah’s son from her first marriage. For Najib, the most troublesome evidence is a $681 million deposit in his personal bank account. Najib’s camp says the money came not from 1MDB but was a gift from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Najib returned $620 million of the sum. The Saudis backed his story, but the reasoning behind the “gift” remains elusive. While the DOJ has not yet charged Najib with a crime, in July it filed a civil suit to reclaim $1 billion that had been laundered through the United States in its largest ever “kleptocracy” case, alleging that $3.5 billion had been swiped in all. The next parliamentary elections must be held no later than mid-2018, but Najib could call one sooner to take advantage of a splintered opposition. For her part, Rosmah told local reporters in April: “My advice [to Najib] is to be very, very patient, as this is a test from Allah.” Translation: This first couple is not backing down.


She's got expensive tastes! Roxy Jacenko wears $84K worth of designer clothing during a casual dinner in Bondi... after unveiling her new $66K bracelet in Hawaii

By Monique Friedlander For Daily Mail Australia Published: 21:41 EST, 16 January 2017 | Updated: 00:50 EST, 17 January 2017 e-mail 18 View comments She's never been known to shy away from flaunting her designer wardrobe and expensive tastes.  And socialite Roxy Jacenko was up to her old tricks on Monday when she emerged in Bondi for a casual dinner wearing around $84K worth of designer clothing. Beaming at onlookers as she sauntered down the suburban street, the wife of jailed investment banker Oliver Curtis, festooned her slender figure with an eye-watering array of couture garments and accessories.  Scroll down for video  Wouldn't want to spill anything on that! Controversial socialite Roxy Jacenko emerged in Bondi for a casual dinner wearing around $84K worth of designer clothing on Monday  Roxy was clad in a crew-neck bodysuit by Maison Margiela worth around $450, paired with a skirt by Louis Vuitton, worth around $3100.  She accessorised her ensemble with a black Hermes Birkin bag worth approximately $70,000 and a pair of Alaïa heels worth around $1,300.  The jewellery-lover also added some serious bling to her look, donning a pair of Cartier hoop earrings worth around $1000, a bangle by the same brand worth around $8000 and a set of Ray Ban aviator sunglasses, worth around $200.  Swanky: Roxy was clad in a crew-neck bodysuit by Maison Margiela worth around $450, paired with a skirt by Louis Vuitton, worth around $3100 She also confirmed to her Instagram fans that she chose to wear a Napoleon Perdis brand lipgloss that day, retailing at $38.  It comes after the PR maven revealed her newest Cartiar aquisition- an 18-Karat white gold and diamond bracelet, worth a whopping $66,000. Taking to Instagram, Roxy shared a close-up of the adornment during her recent trip to Hawaii.  Designer damsel: She accessorised her ensemble with a black Hermes Birkin bag worth approximately $70,000 and a pair of Alaïa heels worth around $1,300 Brand city! Roxy revealed she wears Napoleon Perdis cosmetics when chatting to fans on her Instagram page  Selfie time! She made sure to flaunt her outfit on Instagram earlier that day with one of her usual elevator selfies  The sparkly Juste Un Clou - which translates as 'just a nail' - is encrusted with 374 diamonds totaling 2.26 carats, and it appeared alongside Roxy's other pricey bling in the photo.  Also visible on the mum-of-two's wrist was a yellow gold Cartier bracelet of the same design, with the 18-Karat piece costing $9,550.  Roxy's love for the French jewellery maker is evident, with a third bracelet, a yellow gold Love Bracelet worth $8,800, among the six pictured.  One of her other bracelets on show is a white gold Tennis Bracelet, which ranges in price from $8,800 to $54,500 at Nicholas Haywood.   Bling: Roxy showed off the latest addition to her ever-growing jewellery collection during her recent trip to Hawaii


The Bag Which Is Not A Birkin

Sale PSA: A classic boxy cashmere turtleneck from Nordstrom (I love the lines on this, looks like it’s from somewhere like The Row), now 40% off, truly excellent buckled leather pumps from Laurence Dacade, now 60% off (I really want these despite some resistance from my husband), an easy zipped heeled bootie with comfortable walking lug sole from Caslon, now just $65, and a gorgeous oxford checked trench coat from J.Crew, now under $150 (final sale!).  For five years running now, my #1 most asked about topic on this blog remains the Hermes Birkin bag (though as the years have gone on, the Kelly has shot up quite a bit). I think the Birkin is a great bag, and I’ll never be one of those people who is soooooo over them just because the bag is so popular and ubiquitous now, that have to make the point that they liked them before they were popular, unlike say, you, basically insinuating that you’re a nouveau peasant. The Birkin is fabulous. That being said, I do think that there should be a little more love paid to a few bags Hermes makes  which aren’t as popular…I’m an equal opportunity bag enjoyer! Here are some of my favorite Hermes bags which aren’t Birkins (or Kellys). 1. The Plume. The Plume is one of my favorite under the radar Hermes bags. You could carry this anywhere and barely anyone would know what it was. It’s a fabulous, classic bag with clean lines that will stand the test of time. A bonus is the light weight (it really is light as a feather, plume = feather), and the rolled handles, which feel so comfortable on the arm. The prices on these on the resale market are fantastic, too. You can get a gorgeous Plume – one which retails for $7K or above and which will garner you compliments from every staffer in the Hermes shop – for a little more than $1K or so.  If I weren’t neck deep in mommy world with no line of sight to handheld bags, I’d be adding one or two more to my wardrobe, pronto. PS: One time I happened to meet a member of Hermes executive management, who told me that Plume was his favorite bag, in box calf. I wanted to seem very cool so I used up my one minute with him to tell him all about how I have a Plume, but I think I really should have used that time to beg for some kind of outrageous special order. 2. The Soie Cool. This bag isn’t very popular, but I really can’t understand why. It’s amazing! Full price is a little over $2K and you will smile every time you wear it. I do have to admit I’m the sort of person who is always drawn to the trendy, seasonal bags – which is why I try to stay away from the Chanel handbag section as much as possible – and then who ends up regretting it and wishing I had bought a classic. But I never feel that way with the Soie Cool. Plus I have fabulous memories associated with it of a particular trip to Paris. My original review is here. 3. The Bolide. I’m not sure if this counts as underrated but I haven’t seen it pop up much lately, and rumor is that the US has been receiving barely any of the 35 size, so why not give this one some love? I recently fell back in love with the Bolide, as I just wrote about last month. It’s the most practical of the three bags I listed and has something the other two don’t – a shoulder strap. Also can be had for quite good prices on the resale market (but not as good as the Plume). You can also see my review here. By the way – in Japan, I see elegant ladies wearing Bolides way more often than both Birkins and Kellys! I was told they prefer the understated tone of the bag, and its practicality. Any other bags you think are underrated out there (Hermes or not)? I’d love to hear! Related