Rosmah Mansor has been acquitted of money laundering and tax evasion charges. And, what happened to her Birkins?

Rosmah Mansor happily speaking to reporters after her acquittal this morning. Screen shot: harianmetro/YouTube

In a Malaysian court this morning, more than a dozen money laundering and tax evasion charges against Rosmah Mansor were dismissed. The former prime minister’s wife faced 12 of those charges involving RM7.1 million (S$2.1 million) and five more for not declaring her personal income to the Inland Revenue Board between 4 December 2013 and 8 June 2017. The judge had said that the charges were “illegal and flawed”, as The Star reported, and ordered a “discharge amounting to an acquittal”, according to AFP. Ms Mansor told the media, as she was leaving the high court: “This is what I call justice”. She also said: “My acquittal on my birthday (more than a week ago) is not only a meaningful gift for me, but also a gift for my Bossku (Najib Razak).”

Dressed in a maroon blouse with flapped, patched pockets; and similarly-coloured tudung (head scarf) with black lace edges; and soft, lean slacks, Ms Mansor was reported to appear “relieved” as she spoke to members of the media. “Bagilah saya rehat sekejab (give me a moment’s rest),” she said before letting out an audible sigh. She seemed emotional as she answered the media questions posed to her. The court’s decision marked the end of a six-year battle in this particular case. But Ms Mansor is not totally in the clear. She is presently free on bail, as she awaits an appeal against a 10-year jail sentence in 2022 for the soliciting and receiving of bribes so that a company would win a $279 million solar power supply project from the government headed by her husband.

The judge had said that the charges were “illegal and flawed”… and ordered a “discharge amounting to an acquittal”

Following her not-surprising acquittal, Netizens were curious about her Birkins seized in the dramatic raid of her residence in 2018. There is currently no mention of the status of those expensive bags in the local media. She has long been censured for her allegedly large stow of luxury bags. This came under immense scrutiny after her husband’s shocked election defeat of the same year. In September of 2022, the Malay Mail reported that the court had set a date to determine if Ms Mansor would be returned those beg-beg dirampas (confiscated bags). It is not clear what came out of that. In May this year, 1MDB (1 Malaysia Development Berhad) and subsidiaries attempted to reclaim the money they alleged were used by Ms Mansor to satiate her appetite for luxury bags and expensive jewellery: reportedly US$350 million (or about S$474,180,000) worth.

Attending the court session this morning, Ms Mansor appeared to be unencumbered by a handbag. This hands-free break contradicted her past public appearances, when she was often seen with one that would have been acquired at considerable expense. Her love of luxury bags—and fine jewellery, too—had appeared voracious, more than a desire, even a crave. It attracted online criticisms of her covetousness, with many saying angrily how out of touch she was with the country’s middle-class that was slowly losing financial clout. She was even compared to the former Philippines first lady Imelda Marco, who amassed shoes the way Rosmah Mansor collected handbags. The optics of those respective possessions easily suggested that both women divorced their lavish acquisitions with the impact of their abject materialism on their respective nation’s political, even social landscapes. As it is often seen, excess and restraint are not usually compatible.