Rosmah is no role model

Malaysia’s self-styled ‘First Lady’ Rosmah Mansor is anything but a unifying force, said her peers from the opposite side of the political divide. At international glamour events, for form’s sake, she may be described in more flattering terms than she deserves. But at home, she is viewed with fear and trepidation.

“I dispute Rosmah is good for Malaysia or even the world for that matter - on what basis?” PKR MP for Kuantan Fuziah Salleh told Malaysia Chronicle.

“In Malaysia, Rosmah is not seen as a unifying force. She is not regarded as someone who is important or who is carrying out her duty well. Most Malaysians actually think she is interfering too much with politics. They think she wields too strong a hand and they fear her lash backs.”

Fuziah was responding to comments made by the head of the Global Summit of Women, who had praised Rosmah as a good role model to women especially to First Ladies around the world.

The spending side of Rosmah Mansor

In Turkey on a three-day visit, Rosmah is due to make a speech at an event organized by the summit there.

"I have read her speeches regarding women and I thought that she is somebody we should have at the summit and I sent her the invitation," Irene Natividad had told the Malaysian media sent to accompany the Rosmah entourage.

But perhaps Irene has not read the other news reports about Prime Minister Najib Razak's wife or the parliamentary speeches where her propensity for racking up huge travel bills was the subject of intense debates.

Many irate taxpayers have called her overseas trips “massive shopping sprees”. Her last trip to the Middle East sparked a furore, with the opposition demanding a full and detailed accounting of her expenses.

In the past two years, corporate figures hoping to secure lucrative government contracts have been accused of illegally transmitting millions of ringgit to her via money changers for the alleged purpose of snapping up properties in London and elsewhere.

In her latest trip to Istanbul, Rosmah has taken along Noorainee Abdul Rahman, wife of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Also in her immediate entourage are 15 members of the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) in the delegation. Others in the delegation include women entrepreneurs and senior officers from the International Trade and Industry Ministry and SME Corporation.

Practise what you preach

On Thursday, Rosmah is due to deliver a keynote address entitled "The Progress of Malaysian Women in Business and Economy" at the Global Summit of Women 2011 in Istanbul.

As a sign of her unpopularity, her adoption of the ‘First Lady’ title has stirred up public ridicule and unhappiness back home. Many Malaysians have insisted the title belonged to the Queen and not to the wife of the prime minister.

Her critics say that if she wants to ‘earn’ the title, she must mingle and reach out to the ordinary folk more often and not only during key by-elections. They also urged her to stay out of politics.

“She must be people-centric. It is important for her to relate to people around her so that the people too can relate to her. She must have a pleasant personality in terms of the way she talks and thinks and also the way she dresses. She must also be caring and put the well-being of people first," said Fuziah.

"Then most importantly she must practise what she preaches. She should focus more on being the PM's wife. Right now I don't see perceive her as a PM's wife. She has to choose between politics and being the PM’s wife and being a politician. If she wants to keep interfering, it is best she joins politics directly.”

- Malaysia Chronicle