Legendary Tun Abdul Razak and his careful use of public money and this was something he had always impressed on his children.Rosmah had caused controversy over the title of "First Lady of Malaysia". During the premiership of her husband, Rosmah widely used the title of "First Lady". However, many quarters either argue that it is reserved for the Raja Permaisuri Agong, or that it should never be used at all due to Malaysia not being a republic. The title 'First Lady of Malaysia' drew ire from certain public quarters, for they claimed that such status is not official
Sometimes, it is important not to understand things. Everything happens for a reason, no doubt and in usual circumstances, it is critical to set things in context and to make sense of them as a part of a larger process. But at times, an event begs to be looked at from a singular perspective and evaluated for its own sake. Rosmah considered to be addicted to shopping.she nurtures her shopping addiction Rosmah has been the subject of criticism on the Malaysian blogosphere, with critics focusing on her alleged reputation as a spendthrift and dominance over Najib's political and social agenda.She has been photographed with designer handbags including numerous Birkins and expensive jewellery which have attracted criticism from opposition politicians. US Jeweller Jacob and Co has countered allegations that Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor bought a diamond ring worth RM24 million from it in 2011 with documentation proving the item was sent back to the US.“The reason Madame Rosmah Mansor’s name was on the House Airway Bill is because to ship a valuable into Kuala Lumpur, the item has to be in the care of a local Malaysian,In the Sydney Morning Herald, columnist Andrew Hornery called Rosmah the "first lady of shopping", allegedly for spending A$100,000 (RM325,000) at a Sydney boutique. According to the column, Rosmah and Najib had during the holiday stayed at the A$20,000 (RM65,100) a night penthouse (right) at the newly minted five-star Darling Hotel., Najib Razak has dismissed reports that his wife had spent RM325,000 on a shopping spree in Sydney and said it was a wildly exaggerated story deliberately fabricated to affect people's perception of their leaders through n 10–14 November, Rosmah Mansor's controversial trip to Qatar using the government-funded private jet has caused an uproar, but news reports and photographs on her website show it had been four busy days for the prime minister's wife's entourage.[33] Pengerang MP Azalina Othman, who accompanied Rosmah Mansor during a women's summit in Qatar, which the prime minister's wife had gone on in a private jet, admitted that the invitation to attend the summit was extended to Rosmah in her personal capacity and not to the government. Shahidan, minister in the Prime Minister's Department said the trip was approved by the cabinet at a meeting chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and that Rosmah was representing Malaysia.
The minister said most MPs are thankful to Rosmah Mansor for making a "fruitful" trip to Qatar. Parliament was told earlier November 2013 that the use of executive jets by the government cost RM15 million for fuel and RM160 million for maintenance, with a single flight costing around RM470,000.
BN can learn from what contributed to Rajapakse's defeat and if it does not, it might just share the former Sri Lankan president's fate in the next general election.In public universities, academics and students are routinely reminded not to get involved in political activities while the colonial-era Sedition Act is now the preferred law to silence dissentThe licensed mass media in Malaysia paint a picture of a popular government but in cyberspace, dissent and criticism hog online media and social media sites that has now led Putrajaya to bring back a retired civil servant to head its communications regulatory agency
Sri Lankan popular strongman Mahinda Rajapakse surprisingly lost the country's presidential elections two days ago while pursuing a third term in office – much to the joy of the South Asian island nation.According to the BBC, his critics said he became increasingly authoritarian and failed to tackle the legacy of Sri Lanka's civil war, which left the Tamil areas in the north impoverished and embittered. While the circumstance with Malaysia is different, his brand of politics is all too similar to Malaysians. -
This from a government that has lost further ground in the 2013 elections from the 2008 elections where PR first denied BN its traditional two-thirds parliamentary super-majority.
The BN government had also used the economy as a bait, planning economic and government transformation programmes together with direct cash aid but only gained 47% of the popular vote in 2013.
He lost with 47.6% of the vote, while his opponent, former health minister and ally Maithripala Sirisena took 51.3% of the vote.
If those numbers are familiar, it is because those are nearly the same numbers as the split between the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in the 2013 general election in Malaysia.
Najib has much in common with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Both men are seeking re-election and have wives who are fashionistas who love to sing, although one is a wannabe.Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is not unduly worried about being arrested in Europe for ignoring the request to testify in a French court about Scorpene, but he will have one big worry if the French court imposes travel sanctions on his wife, the self-styled ‘First Lady’ Rosmah Mansor.
If Malaysia’s ‘First Lady’ cannot trawl her usual hunting grounds in the boutiques of Paris, London or Rome, Najib will have hell to pay. Talk is rife in Malaysian households that it is Rosmah who wears the trousers.Then, there is the possibility of their assets in Europe being frozen.
Najib has to face the thousands of Bersih 3.0 protestors but he is more fearful of Rosmah. Her love of expensive furniture and fine jewellery is known; her addiction to handbags and shoes is well documented. It is alleged that any minor official in a Malaysian embassy or high commission will attest to the endless paperwork for shipping her purchases back to Malaysia.
Who knows? Rosmah may join the ranks of the wives of infamous dictators, if the French decide to punish Najib.
Asma, the British wife of Syrian president Bashar al Assad has been banned from travelling to Europe, by ministers in Brussels. She is able to visit England, only because she was born there, but other members of Assad’s family are all banned from Europe.
Last year, Switzerland denied a visa to President Robert Mugabe’s wife, Grace, who had planned to go to Geneva. After the 2002 presidential polls, which observers claimed were rigged in favour of the president, Mugabe and his inner circle were slapped with travel bans by the EU.
In Paris, French investigators in the Scorpene case are interested in the testimony of Razak Baginda, the PM’s former aide. Razak’s role was crucial in the RM7.3 billion purchase of Scorpene submarines from French shipyard builder DCNS. It is alleged that RM570 million had been paid to his company, Perimekar.
The Malaysian government paid for “co-ordination and support services”, a euphemism for bribes. Najib was the defence minister at the time the submarines were procured, and he successfully managed to lobby Parliament to sanction the purchases.
The murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu using military explosives in 2006 is a grim reminder that deals arranged by high-ranking Malaysian politicians are usually accompanied by sex and sometimes, murder.
Altantuya was collateral damage to those behind this grisly crime. She was the go-between and allegedly provided both bed-warming and translation services to Razak at least.
Joseph Breham, the French lawyer who is representing Suaram, has allegedly uncovered kickbacks to Malaysian politicians for the purchase of two Scorpene class submarines. He has said that “the money trail will lead to the culprits”.
Fear all round
Machang MP Saifuddin Nasution lodged a protest in Parliament last week, because Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, a lawyer for Umno, was dispatched to Europe, New York and Dubai allegedly on Najib’s instructions.
Speculation is rife that Shafee has been tasked with covering Najib’s tracks but others say that he has a more sinister role, like arranging a deal with the French court.
Rushing to Najib’s defence was Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, who denied that the government had hired Shafee, although he refused to say if the lawyer is representing Najib or Rosmah in their personal capacity.
Nevertheless, Malaysians had a glimpse of what was on Najib’s mind at yesterday’s press conference at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang.
Asked if he is going to Paris to testify in the Scorpene case, Najib snapped: “I don’t need to comment….I don’t want to comment, thank you.”
Before the reporter could quiz Najib further, he beat a hasty retreat. His engagement with the media was over in less than 10 minutes.
By reacting to the questioning in such a manner, Najib has increased speculation that he does have something to hide. This time, the Malaysian public can see through all his evasive tactics.
Najib is not the only person who is afraid. Last week, defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (left) retracted an earlier statement that he would testify in Paris. Najib’s administration is rattled by events there.
One thing is clear, Zahid is a good learner. Najib knows a thing or two about delegation and as no Malaysian representative will testify in Paris, Zahid has demanded that the Malaysian ambassador in Paris resolves the matter.
The PM has previously sworn on the Quran that he does not know Altantuya, despite the claimed existence of photographic evidence.
What a shame that Najib has so little respect for his religion. Talk is cheap, and our cabinet is a theatre for amateur dramatics. Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan is another who swore on the Quran about his relationship with Anwar Ibrahim. Perhaps Najib coached him too.
If former US president Bill Clinton was a Muslim, perhaps he too would not miss the opportunity to swear on the Quran. All he could muster was “I did not have sexual relations with that woman”, when referring to his intern Monica Lewinsky.Najib has hotly denied knowing Altantuya (right). Like Clinton, Najib’s approval rating has remained high during troubled times. Perhaps, Najib is learning from the Clinton manuscript.
During the Lewinsky revelations, Clinton went on television and pleaded with the American public “to allow him to get on with the job”.
Najib did just that a few days ago in an interview with the International Investor, an independent research group.
He said: “It is certainly my hope that, when we hold the next general election, the people will ….. allow me to continue with a process of reform…….”
After students were attacked in Dataran Merdeka and the vicious reprisals against people seeking democratic reforms, plus the long list of high-level corruption, it remains to be seen if the rakyat will want Najib to continue in politics.
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