Rosmah's handbags: 'Is Nazri's silence an admission?'

DAP has asked if the failure of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz to answer their written question in Parliament over the prime minister’s wife’s stable of exorbitant Birkin handbags is a silent admission of the fact.

Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching said that Nazri had “curtly” responded to her parliamentary question in a one-line written reply, that news of the PM’s wife Rosmah Mansor owning a RM24 million diamond ring is untrue, but had however failed to address the entire question.

“However, Nazri evaded answering the other part of the question pertaining to the Birkin handbags.

“Now, if Nazri so obviously chose not to clarify the Birkin handbags question, does this mean that this particular rumour is true?” said Teo (left) who is also DAP assistant national publicity secretary, in a statement today.

Teo’s written question in Parliament had asked: “(I) request the prime minister to state the veracity of allegations that the prime minister’s wife possesses branded goods worth millions of ringgit including a diamond ring worth RM24.4 million and also Birkin handbags.”

The Serdang MP continued that Rosmah had been spotted in public “countless times clutching her Birkin handbags”.

“Going by the photos compiled by netizens, the number of Birkin handbags carried by her in official functions as well as when she is on holiday adds up to not just one or two but at least 11 in different colours!”

According to Teo, the handbags named after British actress-singer Jane Birkin and manufactured by Hermès since 1984 were exclusive luxury items and "universally recognised as a symbol of extravagance and wealth".

Its limited editions, she said, meant each item could cost from US$9,000 (RM28,000) to US$150,000 (RM472,000).

‘Handbags authentic or imitation?’

Teo asked how the self-proclaimed ‘First Lady’ afford such extravagant branded goods on the supposedly limited salary of her husband.

“Although the salary of a prime minister or a minister is quite considerable, surely the salary isn't so high that one can easily afford such excessive extravagance such as the items being flaunted by Rosmah?” said Teo.

She added that Rosmah (right, with Najib) is hardly the modest and cost-conscious woman that Umno propaganda has been going on overdrive to portray her as, in their zealous attempts to “reclaim” Selangor as the next general election looms.

“Most recently, the Umno propaganda machinery has launched an all-out charm offensive including a comic strip entitled ‘Who’s Rosmah?’ in a desperate attempt to portray her as a cost-conscious and kind-hearted ‘First Lady’.

“No matter how much glorious praise is lavished on the Prime Minister's wife by the Umno propaganda department, it is unlikely that the term 'cost-conscious' could be applied to her!” said Teo.

In a separate reply in Parliament to the question of the controversial diamond ring, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) had confirmed the existence of the controversial RM24 million diamond ring that it said had entered the country but had not been purchased.

According to a PKR-linked NGO Solidarati Anak Muda Malaysia's (SAMM) expose the customs document had stated that the ring was to be inspected by one 'HE Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor'.

SAMM has since launched 25,000 copies of a booklet called 'Extravagant Rosmah: The ring issue explained” to spread the word about the prime minister’s wife’s allegedly excessive lifestyle.

“If Umno is fanatically pitching Rosmah as a ‘First Lady’ of great prudence and passion for charitable work, it would bode well for its propaganda department to address the public’s curiosity and valid questions regarding the Birkin handbags that accompany Rosmah wherever she goes - whether she bought them with her own money, or they were given to her as gifts, or they are in fact just imitations bought from Petaling Street vendors,” added Teo.