Anifah: Why shouldn't we use Rosmah's connections?

The situation in Egypt during the anti-Mobarak protest was so dire that the government leapt at assistance offered by prime minister's wife Rosmah Mansor, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said.

Speaking to seasoned journalist Ahiruddin Atan, Anifah said the matter was "life and death" and it was crucial for the Malaysian students to be evacuated out of Egypt.

"The PM's wife had connections that I knew could help in a big way, especially under those circumstances.

"Why shouldn't she use those connections? And why shouldn't Wisma Putra accept help," he was quoted as saying by Ahiruddin on his blog Rocky's Bru.

Anifah (left), who spoke to Ahiruddin, better known as Rocky, before he left for Europe on official matters, said this did not mean that Wisma Putra was not doing its job.

"I was in close contact with my counterparts (in Egypt and Saudi Arabia) throughout, to process the evacuation," he said.

Anifah added that Wisma Putra will accept help from anyone to ensure the safety of Malaysians abroad, the former Malay Mail editor reported.

Ahiruddin's blog posting comes after veteran journalist Kadir Jasin blogged that Rosmah should take over several ministries in the government since she is so good at the job.

This followed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's winding up speech at the Umno general assembly last Saturday where he said those attacking his wife did not realise her unsung deeds.

Among others, Najib said his wife had called a member of the Saudi royal family for assistance in the 2011 Ops Piramid which saw the evacuation of more than 2000 Malaysians from Egypt.

"Through her networking, the Saudi government prepared two jumbo jets and brought our students to Riyadh, although they did not have a visa to be in Saudi Arabia."

Najib also said that Rosmah's call to Mubarak's wife Suzanne in 2010 helped secure the release of a student who was accused of spying, but was actually part of the Viva Palestina freedom flotilla mission to Palestine.

This was then much publicised and confirmed by the Egyptian ambassador to Malaysia Hani Abdel Kader Ahmed Shash in Malaysia in the Malaysia media.

However, Viva Palestina in its press release then said that "(British MP George) Galloway and a Turkish MP struck a deal with Egyptian authorities".

Part of this deal, Viva Palestina said, was the release without charge of the seven nabbed mission members, including the Malaysian student.