The Luxurious Mansion Where Former Malaysian PM Najib Will Serve His House Arrest

Por Asif Ullah Khan — The Diplomat

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As the scion of a prominent political family, Najib Razak inherited both a powerful political legacy and a taste for the finer things in life.

A Google Street View image of the villa of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, at 11 Jalan Langgak Duta in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, dated Aug. 2019.

Throughout his 12-year prison sentence for his involvement in the 1MDB financial scandal, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has never worn a prison uniform, and has attended court appearances dressed in tailored suits and ties. Now, he has been granted a conditional royal pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his six-year prison sentence under house arrest at his Jalan Langgak bungalow, in what is considered one of the most exclusive, upmarket, and wealthy residential areas of Kuala Lumpur. According to reports, his double-storey bungalow, spread over 37,000 square feet, is reportedly worth around $5 million.

Hailing from a sort of a political dynasty in Malaysia, akin to the Gandhis in India and the Bhuttos in Pakistan, Najib’s father, Abdul Razak Hussein, served as Malaysia’s second prime minister, while his uncle, Hussein Onn, was the third.

Najib inherited not only a powerful political legacy but also a taste for the finer things in life. Throughout his political career and even during his high-profile court appearances, Najib has maintained a signature sartorial preference: sharp, dark blue suits paired with vibrant pink or red ties. His wardrobe heavily featured Italian-cut suits, meticulously paired with matching pocket squares.

Nooryana Najwa, his daughter, once said that a specific blue tie was her father’s absolute favorite, adding that he could tie it perfectly without even looking in the mirror.

After coming to office in 2009, he was a golfing partner of U.S. presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Trump once gifted him a photograph from their game inscribed with the words: “To my favorite Prime Minister.”

Najib’s penchant for luxury, including high-end watches, designer goods, and fine collectibles, reflected his privileged background.

Najib never shied away from his luxurious lifestyle. Even his response to questions about his alleged relationship with Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was murdered in 2006, seemed to reveal his penchant for the high-end life. During a visit to China, when a reporter asked whether Altantuya was his girlfriend, Najib quipped: “If she was my girlfriend, she wouldn’t be staying in an ordinary hotel.”

His wife, Rosmah Mansor, also attracted considerable attention for her extravagant lifestyle and was dubbed “Malaysia’s Imelda Marcos” because of her love for luxury goods and her massive collection of designer handbags and jewelry.

Police raids during the investigation of the 1MDB scandal on properties linked to him and his family uncovered an extraordinary collection of luxury goods. They seized 12,000 pieces of jewelry, including 1,400 necklaces, 2,200 rings, 2,100 bangles, 2,800 pairs of earrings, 1,600 brooches and 14 tiaras. The jewelry alone was estimated by experts to have a market value of between $161.9 million and $215.8 million. The most expensive piece was a diamond necklace valued at about $1.57 million.

Using the cliché “born with a silver spoon in his mouth” does not suffice to describe Najib’s upbringings in political privilege and extraordinary displays of wealth. Assuming he can pay the court ordered 50 million-ringgit ($12 million) fine, Najib will serve the remainder of his prison sentence not in an ordinary home but in a mansion in one of Kuala Lumpur’s most exclusive neighborhoods.

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Throughout his 12-year prison sentence for his involvement in the 1MDB financial scandal, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has never worn a prison uniform, and has attended court appearances dressed in tailored suits and ties. Now, he has been granted a conditional royal pardon allowing him to serve the remainder of his six-year prison sentence under house arrest at his Jalan Langgak bungalow, in what is considered one of the most exclusive, upmarket, and wealthy residential areas of Kuala Lumpur. According to reports, his double-storey bungalow, spread over 37,000 square feet, is reportedly worth around $5 million.

Hailing from a sort of a political dynasty in Malaysia, akin to the Gandhis in India and the Bhuttos in Pakistan, Najib’s father, Abdul Razak Hussein, served as Malaysia’s second prime minister, while his uncle, Hussein Onn, was the third.

Najib inherited not only a powerful political legacy but also a taste for the finer things in life. Throughout his political career and even during his high-profile court appearances, Najib has maintained a signature sartorial preference: sharp, dark blue suits paired with vibrant pink or red ties. His wardrobe heavily featured Italian-cut suits, meticulously paired with matching pocket squares.

Nooryana Najwa, his daughter, once said that a specific blue tie was her father’s absolute favorite, adding that he could tie it perfectly without even looking in the mirror.

After coming to office in 2009, he was a golfing partner of U.S. presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Trump once gifted him a photograph from their game inscribed with the words: “To my favorite Prime Minister.”

Najib’s penchant for luxury, including high-end watches, designer goods, and fine collectibles, reflected his privileged background.

Najib never shied away from his luxurious lifestyle. Even his response to questions about his alleged relationship with Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was murdered in 2006, seemed to reveal his penchant for the high-end life. During a visit to China, when a reporter asked whether Altantuya was his girlfriend, Najib quipped: “If she was my girlfriend, she wouldn’t be staying in an ordinary hotel.”

His wife, Rosmah Mansor, also attracted considerable attention for her extravagant lifestyle and was dubbed “Malaysia’s Imelda Marcos” because of her love for luxury goods and her massive collection of designer handbags and jewelry.

Police raids during the investigation of the 1MDB scandal on properties linked to him and his family uncovered an extraordinary collection of luxury goods. They seized 12,000 pieces of jewelry, including 1,400 necklaces, 2,200 rings, 2,100 bangles, 2,800 pairs of earrings, 1,600 brooches and 14 tiaras. The jewelry alone was estimated by experts to have a market value of between $161.9 million and $215.8 million. The most expensive piece was a diamond necklace valued at about $1.57 million.

Using the cliché “born with a silver spoon in his mouth” does not suffice to describe Najib’s upbringings in political privilege and extraordinary displays of wealth. Assuming he can pay the court ordered 50 million-ringgit ($12 million) fine, Najib will serve the remainder of his prison sentence not in an ordinary home but in a mansion in one of Kuala Lumpur’s most exclusive neighborhoods.

Asif Ullah Khan is a veteran journalist who has held senior editorial positions at The Times of India, Khaleej Times, The Hindustan Times, and The Brunei Times. He currently writes for The Diplomat, The Wire, The India Legal, The ASEAN Post, and other international publications.

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Fonte: The Diplomat