Noorhaina Hirawani Mohd Noor, who managed Najib’s social media accounts during his tenure as prime minister, said the payment was meant for day-to-day operations at ORB Solutions Sdn Bhd.

“ORB Solutions was set up as a digital agency for Najib and managed his online communications.

“It was for him to engage with the public on his social media platforms,” she said when questioned by fiat prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram about the company’s background.

Najib was said to have paid ORB Solutions the amount on Aug 12, 2013. The money allegedly came from 1MDB.

The former prime minister is facing 25 charges of money laundering and abuse of power over alleged 1MDB funds amounting to RM2.28 billion, deposited in his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

Noorhaina said she had worked in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) from August 2013 to October 2014.

“I took over from Amhari as the main liaison officer for the PMO and ORB Solutions,” she said, referring to Najib’s former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.

Amhari was also a director at ORB Solutions.

Noorhaina also said she was not subject to the public servant pay scale despite being employed as a civil servant.

When questioned about her salary, she said she had received RM24,000 a month.

“There were also other press secretaries at the PMO with me,” she said.

When asked by Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah whether she or Amhari had been prosecuted for money laundering as the recipients of the RM2 million, Noorhaina said no.

“Not all are like you,” Shafee said.

Farizah Ahmad, the deputy secretary at the PMO, its accountant Natasha Rahimah Haryati Mohamad and Parliament staff Farah Nurdiana Azhar also testified at Najib’s trial today.

Farizah told the court that Najib had been prime minister and finance minister from 2009 to 2018, while Natasha said Najib was paid RM58,605.15 a month during his 10 years in office.

The hearing continues on Thursday before High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.