KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak has labeled the valuation of items seized from residences linked to him and his family ‘subjective and unrealistic’.
In an exclusive interview with news portal Malaysiakini, the former prime minister said, in the case of the jewellery, prices depended on the source of the stones, when they were gifted or when they were purchased.
“Valuations can tend to differ. So let us not get too excited about it. Let us look at the items, every single item, and we hope to have a chance to examine these items and we can come to a conclusion on the source of the items and can get an explanation on the items seized by the police,” he said.
Malaysiakini quoted Najib as saying, like any husband, he was not aware of the extent of wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's collection of jewellery and other items.
Nor, he said, was he provided with a detailed list of the items seized, adding that the list he received was “incomplete”, with “vague descriptions” and without photographs.
“But what I do know is that over the years, as head of the government, we have been gifted with a lot of items by foreign leaders as well as personal friends and I do know that under the law it is not illegal to receive gifts. These gifts were accumulated over decades.
“For example, (Prime Minister) Tun Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) admitted to receiving 40 horses from his friends and foreign leaders, and he openly uses a lot of corporate jets from his friends so it is not illegal to receive gifts,” he added.
The news portal also quoted Najib as saying Rosmah had also been surprised by the number of items which had been seized.
He also told Malaysiakini that he believed Rosmah did not believe that it would come up to around the RM1 billion mark.
Najib also claimed that some of the items had been sent by jewellers for viewing, after which they were to be returned, adding that the jewellers would have records of these and therefore needed to be identified.
Najib also claimed that a large number of the jewellery seized belonged not to Rosmah, but their daughter Nooryana Najwa, her husband and mother-in-law.
Malaysiakini said Najib also claimed that some of the jewellers who had sent the items for viewing had now written in to legally claim back the items.
“But let us not jump to any conclusions at this stage. Let us examine the items individually,” he added.
Najib said once the list of items seized is examined, there are other factors which must be established.
“We need to know the dates of the gifts, like jewellery items. As you know, prices of stones acquired or gifted 20 years ago are much less (then) because the price of stones have increased significantly so it depends on what valuation and when the valuation was made,” he added.
When asked by Malaysiakini whether it was ethical to accept valuable gifts, Najib said former United States president Barack Obama's wife Michelle received millions from the late Saudi Arabia ruler, King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud.
“And when King Salman visited Indonesia recently, he also gave millions worth of gifts. So some of these monarchs in certain countries, it's part of their culture to give costly items.
“Items given to me by these monarchs, I have not used them. I have kept them because I don't use very expensive things, as my friends know. I don't use any watches that contain valuable stones,” he added.
Najib said he planned to have a galleria and put all his gifts in it, at some point in time, much like Dr Mahathir’s museum in Langkawi, which has 9,000 items.
“That was my intention. You know, put them in an exhibit because really those things... I have never used.
“I know some expensive rings were given but I have never used them because I know they were expensive and I know as a leader I shouldn't use them and they will not be used and they will be part of the galleria one day.”
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