NAJIB Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, are no longer in denial.

They looked “very disturbed” during an eight-hour police raid on their home that stretched from last night till the predawn hours.

Malaysia Decides understands that the former prime minister has also communicated a sense of foreboding to his inner circle, believing that it is just a matter of time before he faces a battery of anti-money laundering and corruption charges related to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

Already, a team of lawyers is being assembled to defend him. Najib may also have to get a separate set of lawyers for Rosmah, given that most of the items seized from last night’s raid comprised bags, clothes and other items that are hers.

Harpal Singh Grewal, Najib’s lawyer, said police personnel were professional and courteous throughout the raid, but Najib and Rosmah looked disturbed by the turn of events.

“Two of their children were also present,” he told Malaysia Decides.

He said Najib’s private residence in Taman Duta was filled with boxes that had been transferred from Seri Perdana, which is the prime minister’s official residence.

“The raiding party opened the boxes at random and took items.

“I don’t know what type of bags. We had to stand outside the room and watch police work,” he said, adding that police took a lot of photographs, as was expected during such raids.

Rosmah is said to have a penchant for luxury Birkin bags, which carry a RM200,000 price tag each.

In addition to the private residence, police also raided Seri Perdana, Najib’s former office in Putrajaya and two condominiums at Pavilion in the city centre, which belong to his family.

Federal Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Amar Singh Ishar Singh said the raids were part of an ongoing probe, but declined to say what items police were looking for, or explain the scope of the investigations.

Harpal said Najib is being investigated under the Anti-Money Laundering Act. He has no idea when the authorities will press charges against his client.

‎Since his and Barisan Nasional’s shocking defeat at the hands of Pakatan Harapan in the May 9 polls, Najib has kept a low profile, maintaining contact with only a small circle of close friends and aides.

In conversation with several of them, he sounded realistic, just counting down to the inevitable: being detained by police and charged in court. – May 17, 2018.