Rosmah and her star-studded friends

VIDEO INCLUDED Everyone loves a friend. Some nursery schools reward the child who has been a special friend to others. The child who helps another child who has fallen over, or asks a child who is on his own to join in, be their friend and play in their game, is rewarded. The helpful child is given gold stars in a ‘Star Rating’. Teachers feel that this helps to boost the children’s morale.

When Malaysians heard that the city of Ankara was going to confer our First Lady, Rosmah Mansor, Turkey’s prestigious Award of Social Responsibility for her social work, they wondered whether this was an extension of the Star Rating given out by nursery schools. The only difference is that this Special Star Rating is awarded amongst friends in high places.

Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak cannot fault us. Over the past year, Rosmah has been blazing several trails around the world, with or without him, that we have lost count.

In the past month, she has chalked up enough airmiles to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Oman. To make it look like serious work, a trip to Bangladesh was also arranged, on the way home.

If we weren’t aware that she was going to the middle-east to talk about talented children, we might be forgiven for thinking all those trips were somehow connected with the recent uprisings in that part of the world.

When John Malott said in his article that Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak was concerned primarily with image, Malott is right.

Both Najib and Rosmah are very image-conscious.

No one in their right mind would spend taxpayer’s money or even their friend’s money, to have a centrepage spread in an American newspaper to promote themselves. It allegedly cost USD7 million for Rosmah’s centrefold last year.

That was when we found out Rosmah had been given an International Peace and Harmony Award by the United States Business Council for International Understanding in recognition of her extensive charity work, and to celebrate Malaysia-US links.

A friend who slips across the border to Haadyai for nefarious activities, claims he ought to be presented with some special award for strengthening Malaysia-Thailand links.

Last summer, we heard that Najib was taking a short break from work. The next we heard, he and Rosmah had popped up in the south of France, where Rosmah was hosting the Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF) Charity Gala Dinner in Monaco-Monte Carlo.

This glittering do ended with a karaoke session, on stage, with Prince Albert of Monaco. Was the First Couple’s trip at our expense?

We didn’t hear any protests from our homeland extremists about the scantily clad guests at this Islamic fashion show. The models may have been appropriately covered up, but the guests were not. Maybe Perkasa & co. were stunned into silence.

At the glittering banquet which was attended by many members of Malaysian royal families and 600 guests from Monaco’s high society, Rosmah who is also the IFF patron, presented a donation of 100,000 euros (RM415,271) to Prince Albert II of Monaco for his charity foundation, the Prince Albert II Foundation of Monaco.

Monégasques are mainly tax-exiles. Why is Rosmah donating to this Monaco Foundation?

Did any of the Foundation’s money make its way back to Sarawak to help the Penan or other indigenous people who have been displaced by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, who incidentally, was at this event?

We know that there was an auction that night and over a million Euros was successfully collected from the rich and famous. One of the items auctioned was a signed photo of Prince Albert in Sarawak, taken when he went to Mulu as Taib’s guest.

Did any of these Euro millions reach 200 families from two Penan longhouses in Long Kajang and Long Luar which had burnt down a few days earlier? The Penan longhouses went up in smoke and ironically, a massive firework display captivated the guests in Monaco. Some people are happy to burn money.

So are Malaysians delighted that Rosmah will be presented with an award that the Ankara Mayor, Melih Gokcheh said was given because of Rosmah’s “continuous and active participation in social activities” which had enthralled the Greater Ankara Municipality?

The mayor said, “Her presence in extending a helping hand, as well as trying to put a smile on those encountering social, economic, environmental and health problems, was not only playing a great importance in establishing social balance but also producing social benefits.”

But did he care to ask the poverty stricken Malaysians and especially the Penan women who were raped over two years ago and whose plight had been especially brought to her attention enough times, by activists and NGOs in Malaysia?

The foreign awards conferred on Rosmah by her buddies overseas do not benefit the Malaysian public, especially its hardcore poor and deprived children. The awards make a mockery of her and Najib.

There is no point cultivating goodwill abroad when your own people are in despair. So perhaps it is just like teacher said to her charges: “These gold stars will make you feel good”.

Malaysia Chronicle appends below a video of the Monaco fashion show - Rosmah's speech, followed by Najib, Prince Albert, Taib Mahmud gathering on stage to sing "You've Got A Friend" are in the last quarter of the video ... you can fast forward

Malaysia Chronicle