Words of Affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch–of these five different love languages, it is easiest to see that where the love story of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, is concerned, “receiving gifts” might very well be the language the infamous couple speaks the most.
The beginning of their love story is one for the books, as the cliché of an ordinary woman finding a politician on the rise with strong family connections is one that most people are likely to appreciate. Despite the demise of both their previous marriages, Najib and Rosmah did not let their past serve as a stumbling block when it came to finding love. Though Rosmah is infamous for her lavish spending habits, all of which has gotten her and her husband in major trouble with the Malaysian government, her life was not always luxurious.
According to an article by Feed Me Malaysia, Rosmah came from a simple, middle-class family. People who knew her well have said that she did not like the simple life–in fact, her economic status then was one of her insecurities. Fortunately for her, life took a turn when somehow, arrangements were made for her to live in the sultan’s palace. It was there that her appetite for wealth and extravagance was whetted.
Najib had it differently, though. According to The New York Times, if there was one word that could be attached to Najib’s life, it was “pedigree.” Coming from a line of Malaysian prime ministers, with his father having served as Malaysia’s second, and his uncle having served as Malaysia’s third, Najib was no stranger to the political platform that came with the title Prime Minister.
Both their lives changed when they met, and in the 1980s, they married while Najib was serving as the chief minister of Pahang. As Najib rose to power in Malaysia and eventually took on the role of Prime Minister, Rosmah stayed by his side. Along the way, she became known for her excessive spending. As Najib rose to power, so did his wife. And it just so happened, that the longer Najib stood on his political platform, the more his wife spent, which led to the couple being despised by many.
Hundreds of millions of US dollars later–US$700 million to be exact, Najib and Rosmah have been slammed with multiple criminal charges, including graft, as millions of US dollars from the Malaysian Government have been allegedly put into Najib’s bank account, according to the South China Morning Post.
According to Rojak Daily, after items from the couple’s home were confiscated by the Government, they were valued to be around RM1.1 billion. Despite Najib being in office as Prime Minister earlier, many people felt it was his wife who called the shots in many ways.
Currently the spendthrift couple are being tried in court.
Clearly, this power couple have taken the phrase “Us against the world” to a whole new level.