Rosmah Inserts Her Foot Into Mouth

Guess what big mama just said?

The US 24.8 million diamond was actually bought from savings since she was a teenager...

According to the Utusan Malaysia article, Rosmah Mansor, wife of PM Najib Razak, is quoted as saying that – yes, she bought this 30-carat diamond from Jacobs & Co. Fine Jewellers New York for US$24,458,400 – and that the money came from her savings since she was a teenager!

I have no idea whether the above quote is correctly attributed to her, but since her picture and the actual diamond bought also appeared in this same Utusan Malaysia article, and, so far, she has not denied it, we have to assume that this assertion did come from her mouth.

Unless Utusan Malaysia and its UMNO cohorts are the dumbest illiterates and can't-count-at-all morons, or they think all citizens of this 1Mar-rae-sia country should qualify for these "titles" I am flabbergasted as to the extent of their naivety and their nonchalant acceptance of this status quo!

Consider the following:

1. Datuk Seri Paduka Rosmah Mansor was born on 10 December 1951, which would make her 59 years 7 months old, or 60 years old on 10 December 2011 – 2 years old than hubby PM Najib Razak, who was born on 23 July 1953.

2. She has a BArts (Hons) Degree in Anthropology and Sociology from the then University of Malaya, where she graduated in 1974, and a MSc in Sociology and Agriculture from Louisiana State University, U.S., where she graduated in 1978.

3. She received the "Honorary Doctorate of Innovation in Human Capacity Development" from the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology on 22 March 2011.

4. She married Najib in 1987 and they have 2 kids – Nooryana Najwa Najib and Norashsham Razak Najib. This is Rosmah's second marriage, as she was previously married to Farid Ismeth Emir, a former TV presenter, and current job appears to be a GM of a trading company. She also had 2 kids with Farid. It is also Najib's second marriage – he first married Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskandar ("Ku Yie") in 1978, and she bore him 3 kids. He divorced Ku Yie in 1987 to marry Rosmah.

5. According to her official website http://www.pmo.gov.my /datin rosmah, she then worked in Agriculture Bank Malaysia until 1983, and as Business Development Manager at Island and Peninsular Berhad, where she worked until 1987.

6. So, at most, from her graduation in 1978 to the end of her working career in 1987, she worked some 9 years only!

7. She now tells us, as stated, that this US$24.5 million bauble was bought from her "savings" since her teenage days!

Let's explore further this statement:

-US$24,458,400 at today's exchange rate of RM3.047 to US$1.00 means it is RM74,524,745!

- What age is one called a "teenager"? Say we start at 15 years old. She's 59+, so she "saved' for some 44 years. RM74,524,745 divide by 44 years means:

***** her average yearly "savings" is RM1,693,744!
***** or average "savings" of RM141,145 a month!
***** or average "savings" of RM4,705 per day!

Wow, even better than Bill Gates or Warren Buffet who both had to work their butts out to get to where they are today!

8. She worked only 9 years from 1978 to 1987 in low to mid-level Managerial positions – the usual starting positions for most new University graduates – and basic pay-wise, would be around RM2,000 per month in 1978 to RM4,500 per month in 1987 – maybe, if you consume just nasi lemak and teh tarik every day, you will be able to save some money from these salaries! But RM74.5 million? Dream on!

She would be world famous if she wrote her thesis on how she did it – My Way!