*ISLAMABAD – Malaysia’s scandal-hit former prime minister Najib Razak andhis wife Rosmah Mansor were Saturday banned from leaving the country, theimmigration chief said, after the shock election loss of Najib’s coalition.*

“The immigration department has just now blacklisted Najib and Rosmah fromleaving the country,” Mustafar Ali, director-general of the immigrationdepartment, told AFP.

Najib said in a tweet: “I have just been informed by the immigrationdepartment of Malaysia that my family and I are not allowed to go abroad. Irespect the decision and I will remain in the country with my family.”

The travel ban came as speculation mounted that Najib and Rosmah, a hugelyunpopular figure due to her reported love of luxury shopping trips, wereabout to board a flight to fly to Indonesia.

Najib had earlier tweeted he was going to take a “short break”. An angrycrowd had descended on an airport near Kuala Lumpur where the couple hadbeen expected to leave from, in a bid to stop them from departing.

After his defeat, speculation mounted the pair might flee the country asformer strongman premier Mahathir Mohamad, who beat him in the elections,has pledged to probe a massive scandal in which Najib is implicatedconcerning the theft of billions of dollars of state funds. – APP/ AFP