Former minister auctions Rolex gifted by Saudi King, raises RM135,000 for Palestine

PETALING JAYA: Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) auctioned off a Rolex watch gifted to him by King Salman Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia to aid the country’s efforts in assisting Palestine through monetary contributions.

In a social media post, Datuk Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said he had received the luxury watch from the King of Saudi Arabia after he delivered a speech during the Royal’s courtesy visit to Malaysia in 2017.

“I was contacted by the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Malaysia notifying me about a souvenir sent from the Saudi King to me.

“I asked my officer, Dr Aizam, to collect it for me, but I did not open the gift box.

“It was kept in my office in Putrajaya until I was appointed minister.

“When I held the minister position, the box was moved to my second office at the Kuala Lumpur Islamic Center Complex.

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“Only when I resigned as a minister in 2021 was the box moved to my personal office.

“There, I opened it and wore it as a token of appreciation for the generous donation from the Saudi King.

“His Majesty’s order to always be simple, to prioritise the unity of the ummah and to dignify religion will always be embedded in my heart,” said Zulkifli in his post.

However, he decided to auction off the Rolex with a starting price of RM40,000, with proceeds channelled towards the welfare of the Palestinian people.

“Proceeds of the auction will be fully donated to the welfare of the Palestinian people who are suffering,” said Zulkifli.

He later posted on Facebook that the bidding had ended with the highest bid standing at RM135,000.

“Thank you to the bidders. May the pure intentions receive the rewards they deserve,” he said, adding that he would meet the winner on Wednesday (Nov 1) evening.

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Ex-minister’s Rolex auction records RM130k