Wife of Malaysian PM was power behind the throne, trial reveals

Emma ConnorsSenior editor and writer

Updated Sep 2, 2022 – 7.54am, first published at Sep 1, 2022 – 10.17pm

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Singapore/Kuala Lumpur | Until he was jailed for corruption last week, Malaysia’s former prime minster Najib Razak was a commanding presence. Now a High Court judge has revealed the real power behind the throne.

Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor has a “steely character” and “overbearing nature”, wrote High Court Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan in a 116-page judgment handed down on Thursday that found Rosmah guilty on three charges of taking bribes from a company in exchange for government contracts while her husband was prime minister.

Emma Connors was South-east Asia correspondent from October 2019 until mid-2023, based in Jakarta and Singapore. She has previously edited Perspective and Opinion and has written extensively across the AFR and related titles.