Datuk Seri Rosmah Mansor was invited to the women's summit in Qatar in her personal capacity and it was not an invitation to the government, said Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman.
"The invitation was not on a government-to-government basis but on a personal basis," Azalina said in Parliament today during the debate on Budget 2014.
Azalina had also accompanied Rosmah on that trip. She also revealed in Parliament that it was Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who chaired the Cabinet meeting that approved the use of the government jet for the trip, and not Rosmah's husband, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim had said the Cabinet had given its approval for Rosmah to use the government jet for the trip, causing opposition lawmakers to accuse the Cabinet of acting irresponsibly and in an undignified manner.
Azalina added that Rosmah's delegation consisted of senior government officials, the media and representatives from non-governmental organisations.
BN ministers jump to defend Rosmah
This did not stop Datuk Seri Noh Omar (BN-Tanjung Karang) who jumped to Rosmah's defence, saying that Malaysians should be proud that she was given such recognition by the Qatar government, as not all the wives of leaders in the region were given such an honour.
"I don't understand why can't anyone appreciate this. This is always the case with the opposition. Those who make the country proud are treated as enemies, while those who bring down the name of the country are treated as heroes," he said.
Later at the Parliament lobby, Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis (BN-Rompin) said through the invitation, Rosmah had upheld the good name of Malaysia.
"It not as though she went on her own, we should be proud that she was given the honour to speak at the forum," he said.
Accompanied by a coterie of cronies
He criticised the opposition for making a huge fuss over the matter, saying that Selangor adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's overseas trips were also paid by the state government, despite Anwar not being a Selangor assemblyman.
"I am confident Malaysians can see through this issue being brought by the opposition," he said.
Rosmah was in Qatar last week to deliver a keynote address at the 4th Qatar International Business Women Forum in Doha, organised by the Qatari Businesswomen Association and the Interactive Business Network.
Accompanying her were Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who is special adviser to the prime minister on women entrepreneurs and professionals; Datin Seri Siti Rubiah Datuk Abdul Samad, wife of Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman; Datin Seri Khamarzan Ahmad Meah, wife of International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed; and Datin Seri Che Kamariah Zakaria, wife of Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.
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