Rosmah gets a roasting over Ops Piramid

For stealing a march on the PM in the evacuation plan of Malaysians in Egypt, the self-styled 'First Lady' comes in for flak from PKR.

PETALING JAYA: PKR attacked the self-styled ‘First Lady’ Rosmah Mansor for taking credit over the evacuation of Malaysians from Egypt.

PKR’s Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin said that Rosmah was using Ops Piramid for her own self-promotion.

“It is most regrettable to see the prime minister’s wife taking advantage of the evacuation of Malaysians from Egypt,” Zuraida said in a press statement.

“Her role, it seems, had overstepped the responsibilities of a minister.”

Zuraida added that Rosmah was desperate for recognition over the calls she put in to officials in Oman, Bahrain and Egypt to help with the evacuation of Malaysians.

Concerned with the recent political unrest in Egypt, the government came up with an elaborate evacuation plan to rescue about 10,000 Malaysians there.

Codenamed ‘Ops Piramid’, more than 7,000 Malaysians have thus far been ferried to nearby Jeddah in Saudi Arabia before being brought back home.

English daily the Star reported yesterday that both Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Rosmah had pulled strings to get this done.

Without informing her husband first, Rosmah allegedly called the Saudi royal family to coordinate the rescue effort.

PKR throws a dare at Najib

She claimed that Malaysian officials had asked her to use her connections with the Saudis to help move Ops Piramid.

Rosmah’s efforts however, did not impress Zuraida, who accused the former of grandstanding.

The PKR MP then threw a challenge and dared the prime minister to prop Rosmah as a possible candidate for the upcoming Merlimau by-election.

“This challenge is appropriate as it will appease Umno Wanita chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s initial wish to field a female candidate in the Tenang by-election,” said Zuraida.

Shahrizat had originally asked BN to consider Labis Umno Wanita leader Haslinda Salleh to stand against PAS’ Normala Shamsudin.

Her plans were, however, ignored as Umno’s Azahar Ibrahim was field and emerged triumphant in Malaysia’s 14th by-election since the March 2008 general election.

“If Najib really wants to prove that he’s man open to change, then he should accept this challenge to field Rosmah,” said Zuraida.