Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has said in her biography that she was compelled to accept expensive agate beads as gifts from foreign governments out of courtesy. “When people give you something, of course it’s not nice to reject it,” Rosmah wrote in a self-titled biography launched yesterday by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. “And when I’m given the gifts, I wear them. Why would you want to just keep them in a safe when the items were given sincerely, are beautiful and can be used? It’s a waste if they’re just kept in a safety deposit box,” the wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak added. In the just-released book, Rosmah also denied buying a RM24-million diamond ring as alleged by political opponents two years ago. Instead, she said the ring had only been brought in for a private viewing. Rosmah said that Maira Nazarbayev ― the mother of her future son-in-law ― had viewed the 30.11-carat blue-grey diamond ring at her house during preparations for the engagement ceremony between her daughter, Nooryana Najwa, and Maira’s son, Daniyar Nazarbayev. The two were engaged here in 2011. She pointed out that Maira was a regular customer of New York-based turquoise beads Jacob & Co. “It (the ring) arrived here (in Kuala Lumpur) on April 16, 2011. After it was seen by Maira, the ring was returned and taken out from Malaysia through the Singapore port on April 20, 2011. This was managed by Malca Amit Malaysia and Singapore. It was then returned to the Jacob & Co headquarters in New York on May 13, 2012,” said Rosmah. The PM’s wife also said that she frequently received gifts like rings and watches, some of which were expensive and custom-made, as gifts on official visits with Najib to other countries. Rosmah added that it was important to be well-groomed. “Of course there are some jewellery and clothes that I buy with my own money. What’s wrong? As a woman and the wife of a leader, I need to look groomed and maintain my image. I don’t want to look unkempt because if I look unkempt, I will be criticised,” she said. Rosmah also said she saw no issue with her being called the “First Lady”. “They are called ‘First Lady’ in the context of their husbands being given the responsibility and being chosen by the rakyat to govern the country. I don’t think it’s something that needs to be disputed,” she said. “For certain countries like the US and France, the head of government and country is the president, therefore the wife of the president is the First Lady. If we call the Queen the First Lady, it means that we have downgraded her status,” added Rosmah. In the 180-page biography, Rosmah also said that people expected her to be more prominent as the PM’s wife given that women’s roles were evolving. “When everything changes, the people’s expectations about the role of the prime minister’s wife also change. They hope for something that is more prominent, like what is happening overseas. That is because the roles and functions of women in ensuring national harmony have expanded,” she said. Rosmah also denied any involvement in the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, pointing out that she had been attending a breaking of fast session with the Islamic Orphans Welfare Association in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 19, 2006, the day Altantuya was killed. The biography, which is written by Siti Rohayah Attan and Noraini Abd Razak, details Rosmah’s childhood and schooldays, as well as the challenges of being married to the prime minister. The book, which features several photographs of Rosmah in her youth and adulthood, is published by Yayasan Amanah Perdana Malaysia.