Famous women like Queen Elizabeth of England, Margaret Thatcher, Aung San Suu Kyi and Hillary Clinton, do frequently make the news but so do many scandalous women like Marie Antoinette, Marilyn Monroe, Lizzie Borden, Elena Ceausescu, Imelda Marcos and Winnie Mandela, to name a few.
Very often, it is the infamous ones who create a greater ripple effect in the international news media, with the impact trickling down onto the local scene and even shaping a nation's history.
Malaysia has its own version of a woman tainted with scandals all of her own making, because she tried to be much more important than her standing deserved, and because she sought to be over-influential and showed off too much and too often.
Some say this Malaysian woman is most akin to Imelda of Philippines, who had 3,000 pair of shoes.
Once inside the gates of Putrajaya!
Many Malaysians have watched the videos on Youtube that castigated her unabashedly, accusing her of all sorts of evil intentions and deeds. So far, she has not refuted these allegations or sued her accusers.
Then came the day when she finally got to stay in the official residence that she had always hungered for - the Prime Minister's official residence in Putrajaya!
But if the closely-watching public thought that the achievement was enough to keep her contented, they were wrong. Straightaway, she ordered refurbishments to the tune of RM65 million as reported by some online media.
Then, she cast her sights on an official spot in her hubby's office. Whether it was to keep an eye on him, to prevent him from further meeting Mongolian translators, or so she could piggyback on his bottomless expense account, she called her small little unit FLOM or First Lady of Malaysia.
So afraid or is it so respectful of her was her husband, the prime minister of Malaysia, that he sent her off to represent the country in several Middle Eastern states including Saudi Arabia.
Because she has no real official position, she has also been accused of meddling with the way her husband, Prime Minister Najib Razak, governed the country. Those in Putrajaya even whisper that she has been spotted reprimanding her lanky but timid husband.
What she has done so far
Let's chalk up some of her 'achievements' so far.
FLOM Rosman Mansor has managed to organize a party for the First Ladies from amongst the commonwealth countries. For this, she came under heavy fire for overspending an already tight national budget on an event that left little lasting impression or impact on Malaysia's society or economy.
Sad to say, Rosmah has also been accused of being involved in one gruesome murder, related to Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu. She has denied this and the police have slapped on a criminal defamation charge on her accuser. People say she always gets what she wants; just name it.
Rosmah has also been photographed carrying what appears to be a Birkin handbag, designed and manufactured by Hermès of Paris. Prices of the bags range from US$9,000 to US$150,000 according to the type of material used.
She has also been photographed as well wearing what appears to be a 65.77 carat white and black Zebra safari bangle bracelet made of white and black paved diamonds and 18-karat white gold. This 'bauble' came from Jacob & Co, where a grossly huge diamond ring costing USD24 million was also sent for her inspection.
Living the high life
Rosmah's taste for the high life in New York and other top capital cities around the world is well documented, particularly because of her reported closeness to boy billionaire Low Taek Jho aka Jho Low, who seems to spend an astonishing amount of money courting starlets, movie actors and celebrities.
On April 16, 2010 according to the New York Post, she and her husband were given a star-studded party in honor of her receiving an inaugural award that many suspect her public relations firm had created specially for her.
The party was emceed by actor-comedian Jamie Foxx and attended by a flock of movie stars including Charlize Theron and Robert De Niro. There were also performances by Grammy-award nominee Leona Lewis and the Harlem Boys Choir.
Keeping a low profile until the Umno assembly is over
Despite her many accomplishments, and her never-say-die spirit, there is also a serious 'dark cloud' hanging over Rosmah Mansor. She is now touted as one of the main causes for Umno's downfall.
With Umno's annual assembly due early next month, it is not surprising that she has scurried 'underground', keeping the lowest profile until perhaps, it is safe to 'party' again.
She may criticize the opposition but shrewd as she is, she probably knows too well that her real enemies are from Umno, people whom she greets with a smile almost daily as she entertains them in her lavish home in Putrajaya, people who stand to gain from the downfall of her husband, the Umno president, whose position is getting shakier by the day.
Already, an anti-Najib book has been launched by an ex-Umno division chief, urging Umno members to dump Najib, who is perceived as a weak playboy and not the dynamic go-getter that Umno needs.
It will not be long before another of the poison-pen books that Umno is famous for will hit the bestsellers stand and further chop down the ample Rosmah down to size.
Malaysia Chronicle
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