Image via WikipediaThis much touted Global Summit is actually a no event, the only people actually talking about it are the Malaysian press led by Bernama.
In the days before the summit this summit only received publicity from Bernama.
The event received very little coverage from even the Turkish press.
Rosmah seems to be carried away with her self proclaimed title of 'First Lady,' and Najib seems to be allowing her the use of public funds for this purpose, tax payer money.
This Global Summit is meant for 'Women leaders' so how has Rosmah become a Malaysian leader?
Was she elected by the Rakyat?
Is she being sent as an UMNO delegate?
Is she a Barisan Delegate? or is she just the Prime Minister's nominee?
Even the other Malaysian woman delegate to this 'conference' - Sharizat, is a person who lost her seat at the last elections and was is only in the cabinet by way of the 'back door,'via the senate. Sharizat was probably putthere to justify Rosmah's presence, maybe Malaysians should have a chance to view the unedited version of the session that Rosmah shared, we'd get a good idea of how our money is being put to use.
The nation is in trouble, food prices are escalating on a daily basis, today we are told that the price of chicken has gone up because the price of chicken feed has gone up, the Malaysian worker has asked for a minimum wage and those who helped him organise it were arrested and in the face of all this the PM's wife is doing her thing, 'the first lady act."
The price of petrol goes up almost every month and if the price of oil is so high Malaysians should be smiling,this government must be able to subsidise essential items, but since UMNO backed companies took over the sugar trade, the price of sugar went up, the price of rice has gone up, vegetable and milk are up, flour is up, and that too although we are a net exporter of oil, why are these funds not being used to ease the burden on the rakyat, instead we get taxed even more.
Are these funds being used for projects like Rosmah Mansor's overseas trips? There is no way of knowing after all Petronas affairs are the privy of only the top brass in UMNO and their duly appointed representatives.
Before plastics
Rosmah Mansor is fast taking the shape of a Maria Antoinette, probably with thousands of shoes and sandals in a cabinet statched away in the official residence of the PM. Never before in the history of this country have we seen the wife of a PM take centre stage and front herself as a a leader of the people in such a way when in the first place she is not.
Even Tun Dr.Siti Hasmah Ali, the wife of Mahathir Mohammed never did any such thing, she never got involved in the business of government, her role was caretaker of the PM which she carried out excellently, she never once took the limelight away from her husband,and never tried to dabble in political, foreign affairs or even in national health issues, she was loved by the people for her very unassuming ways, an ardent Badminton fan she identified herself with the people and not as a self proclaimed "First Lady." Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah lacked that arrogance, and we all know what an esteemed background she came from.
Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah, was a medical doctor by profession, one of the first Malay women to qualify as a medical doctor if not the first, she was in practice as a doctor long before Mahathir became a Prime Minsiter but she never possessed the arrogance of a Maria Antoinette, but rather the gentleness of a mother,and that is something all Malaysians acknowledge and have never grudged her for.
She held herself so well that even though Mahathir is such a controversial figure I never once saw anyone take a swipe at her, she has the respect of all.
If she traveled abroad on her own it was for reasons she was well qualified to speak about, for instance birth control and against abortion, and that too not as "first lady" but with the 'Sisters of Islam.' Now very honestly could we have sent a better representative then her for such a purpose?
She was no 'jet setting mamma,' who constantly altered her face, trying to steal the limelight away from her husband, deputy Prime Minsiters, ministers or Members of Parliament. She was the quiet wife of the Prime Minister who looked after him as wife and even when he was hospitalised she did not come out to meet the press to give us a run down of his medical condition although she may have been qualified to do so, she left it to the doctors attending to the Prime Minister her husband, and we all knew with her by his side he was in good hands.
Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah is even talked about so well by Dr. Wan Azizah the wife of Anwar Ibrahim and both of them have a mutual respect for each other, now that is how a PM's wife is expected to behave, she has no right of office, all other Ministers and Members of Parliament have right of office she has none, her place is besides her husband and yes maybe chairing charities and other organizations in the country and that too with out too much of the limelight unless to draw attention to specific issues, like raising funds for ex servicemen, preparing Hari Raya goodies for our soldiers and other servicemen on duty etc. Not assuming the role of Minister of foreign affairs.
Najib has to be very careful, many a leader has fallen because of the arrogance of the wife, she is not the leader the people elected, and in the first place Najib was never elected the leader he now is, he has yet to test his popularity with his party first and then with the people.
Rosmah has to do what she is supposed to do, be the wife of the prime Minister and not the de facto minister of foreign affairs and 'first lady?'
