THE Prime Minister’s Office had to drop the name “the First Lady of Malaysia’s (FLOM) unit” after a resulting public backlash, a witness told Rosmah Mansor’s graft trial today.

Officer from the Prime Minister’s Office Huzairi Zainal Abidin testified the opposition had kicked up a storm after the unit appeared on the government website soon after Najib Razak became prime minister in April 2009.

He testified that the public widely perceived Rosmah to have an office at PMO as a result. By law, the wife of the prime minister carries no official titles.

Huzairi told the court that the use of the name “FLOM” became a “huge issue” as a result, as the public perception was that the title, if used, should be referred to the Raja Permaisuri Agong.

The FLOM unit subsequently changed its name to Special Division on August or September of 2009 “to avoid misunderstanding” while its functions remained the same, the witness said when reading aloud his witness statement.

Huzairi said he could not remember who gave the instructions to change the name of the unit. There was also no documentation for the name change, he added.

Huzairi told the court Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod, who was then the prime minister’s special officer, was initially placed in the FLOM unit in charge of managing the affairs of Rosmah.

Rosmah faces three charges of corruption for allegedly soliciting RM187.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin as an inducement to help the company secure a hybrid solar project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, worth RM1.25 billion.

The 69-year-old is also accused of receiving bribes of RM6.5 million between 2016 and 2017. She faces up to 20 years imprisonment, if convicted.

Rosmah is represented by lead counsel Jagji Singh, while former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram is leading the prosecution.

The hearing, before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, continues tomorrow. – February 5, 2020.