To roast or Rosmah

Veteran Journalist Barbara Walter will retire next year 2014.

Just days before she announced her retirement in June, the American News Women’s Club honoured her with its annual Excellence in Journalism award and the event became a tribute to her. In the US, their tribute event are called roast.

Speakers will be invited to share stories, jokes, and anecdote to kid around on the honoured. Basically, the honured is being 'roasted' for laughs. 

It is a light hearted American way of giving respect and honouring a person of enormous contribution. Roast event for prominent personalities being televised on the telly is usually very entertaining and warm. 

Ever since the pathetic answer given by Dato Shahidan Kassim to a question in Parliament on the use of private jet by Prime Minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, she kept getting roasted too. Only thing is she is not being given tribute but being politically grilled.

Shahidan's bungle 

Problem lies with Shahidan's poor answer to claim her role in bringing in investment from the Middle East. It was a shallow attempt to raise her but side step the issue raised and it only invited cynicism. For that matter, he is shallow and terrible replacement for Dato Nazri Aziz.

It is compounded by the fact that most attempt at answering were only on side issues. The need to show the official invitation is not important. To answer it as approval by the cabinet, it only avert the blame from Rosmah but to the Prime Minister and cabinet members. 

Private jet is not for use by others than the Prime Minister and only on official visit. In the days of Tun Dr Mahathir, he fly commercial for overseas trip and by MAS. Smaller private jet or helis was used merely for domestic trips. 

There was whispering attempt to answer using security issues but that can be easily debunked because security is a matter of making prior arrangement.

The public concern in these days of rising cost of living from fuel price, sugar, rental and property prices, etc. They have no tolerance for executive wastage and excesses. I told you so, Husni Hanazlah.

The Prime Minister's Office must acknowledged that argument is fair and justified thus just stop doing it and move on. Better still, sell that ACJ jet bought during Pak Lah's days.

The issue was laid to rest already if not for an attempt to answer the jet issue through an UMNO delegate from Federal Territory using the Prime Minister love and concern for his wife. We have wives too, why not get government to allow them to travel by private jet?

It made a mockery of the speaker and revive the already kept low issue. The next Monday it became a subject of discussion in the Penang Assembly.

Since UMNO politicians hardly read the blogs, or at least the credible ones, they are not capable of knowing and using a fact that Lim Guan Eng went on an expensive first class holiday travel to Europe for one Christmas. Ask la ... who paid it?

To the rescue 


Prime Minister had to come foreward to cover-up that boo boo.

Thus, another boo boo at the closing speech at the UMNO General Assembly for describing the wife in connection to do two things.

It brought criticism from Bigdog here and here as undermining the process of government and "bad precedents". Dato Najib had indirectly affirm and given the impression that there was the improper involvement of his wife's involvement in government.

The counter to that is in Rocky Bru's posting here on Dato Anifah Aman's comment that the government had to do whatever it takes to save our citizens. In government and business, outside help or go-between are common.

However, Dato Najib should not have revealed it for fear it sets the wrong precedents. He could put it in his memoir after getting security clearance when he retires but not now. It only cast the wrong perception on himself [read Mummy Rokiah here] and more aspersions against Rosmah. 

For instance, Dato Kadir Jasin wrote cynical posting here to propose that Rosmah be made a Minister. His posting had been re-reported by opposition blogs and news portal.

His repeated cynicism must have brought too much heat that few bloggers [read in Gelombang Wangsa Maju here] attempt to counter and do a counter attack.

Sorry guys, he is out of your league. Whoever coached them to answer by asking why no fair reporting to post on the Jacob & Co reply on the RM24 million ring and trying to seek transparency on Kadir's own business is hitting the wrong nail.

As bloggers, they should no better the difference between blogging and news reporting and Berita Publishing is not a listed company so why the necessity to open the account to others. Anyway, it was a loss making subsidiary of NSTP when Kadir tookover.

It is also another feeble attempt as diversion because the link to the issue raised by Kadir is rhetorical. If only the know the past relationship between the more elderly Kadir and the younger Najib and Rosmah, they will butt out.

It is a long history and it is best to stay out.

Ministership

It is strange that the role of Prime Minister's wife is a food of discussion.

For anyone wanting to comment or criticise on Rosmah, do not get personal but keep it "professional" and focus. Not knowing the background, several academics had innocently discussed Kadir's suggestion. Both felt it is not necessary. [Read in Jelapang here.]


Our view will be in contrary to the two academicians. If she has the capability and capacity to play a role, why not allow her to take up an official role?

Singapore's Prime Minister, Brigedier General Hsien Loong's wife had an official role in government as CEO of Temasek Holdings.

Datin Dr Wan Azizah is PKR President while husband Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim is Ketua Umum of PKR and daughter Nurul Izzah is Vice President. DAP has Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Guan Eng's wife and Kit Siang's another daughter also holding positions in the party. The list can be longer.      

Since there have been so much complains on the candidate list, cabinet appointments, appointment of secretaries, agenceis chairman and GLC chairmans and UMNO "business as usual" position holders, Dato Najib should bring in all the talents he is comfortable with including his wife.

When Bill Clinton was President, he gave his wife as First Lady an official portfolio to look into. Hillary was not going to events to watch kids perform in shows or kissing and hugging the cubby ones, but seriously looking into the reform the national healthcare.

Before Clinton's career is over, Hillary registered her address in New State to run for Senator and started looking at the Presidential seat. She is free from her commitment as Secretary of State and do not be surprise she will run for President and win. 

Quite sure Rosmah can replace any of the few incompetent and verbally disastrous Chap Ayam Ministers in Cabinet. As a Minister, she has a portfolio to run, attend Wednesday cabinet meeting, and to busy to "interfere" as many alleged her to do.

She will be transparent and in Parliament, she can stand up on her own to answer in Parliament. That way she will be the most accountable and transparent first lady. No one can complain on her for hogging the news because she is entitle to get coverage. 

'Roasted' 

As we wrote before [read here], no answer to the defense of Rosmah will ever be credible and acceptable answers. Even if there are credible answers, whichever way the defense or answer is given, it will not be satisfying and still falls back to her.

The opposition wants to roast her.

Detractors of Najib who could not see any other way for a Prime Minister's wife to carry herself than the model set by Tun Siti Hasmah Mohamed Ali. Certain segment of the public have built up a perception of her that all rumours are believed without confirming. 


Over a long time, Rosmah's reputation had been tarnished continuously by the opposition and her detractors in government for too long a time that no short term public relation exercise or makeover can be done unless she stay out of the picture for a long long time.

The wrongful accusation on her for the murder of Altantunya had been going on for years. She was also implicated in the purchase of the Scorpene submarines although as sources claim, Abdul Razak Baginda could not see eye to eye with maam.

We are aware how piss off some officers in PMO to Syed Akbar's posting to call PMO officers dunggu that top ranking blogger APAhere had to come out to defend. In the issue of Altantunya and Scorpene, we blame it on the incompetence of some PMO that wanted to playdown and it made the issue linger forever. 

Leading to that issue PKR did a prequel before rubbishing Rosmah using Chegu Bard "Simpson" initiated Rosmah Puaka video series on You Tube to do the initial smearing.  

It serves to revive past rumours on the background surrounding Rosmah's marriage to Najib, which were the marriage of two divorcees. Najib and Rosmah children are in University and marriageable age yet they could go back that long. 

For decades, Rosmah had been described as stealing someone's husband and a social climber. There was many sordid details circulating then. Some of the stories we heard them came from Rosmah's colleague in I&P. We were then close to the late Chairman of I&P.  

Just a year before election, Deepak and late PI Bala tried to revive the Altantunya issue but failed. 

There is nothing Rosmah do that will not be closely scrutinised. Naturally, the answer left is for her to stay out of public eye. As the Prime Minister's wife, that is difficult.

If she stays out of sight for too long, some rumourmongers will start to generate story that the Prime Minister is having a marital problem. The political twist to it will be if the Prime Minister can address his domestic affair, he is unfit to run the affair of the nation.

Rosmah is a person on her own right and she makes a clear message by attending functions in attire not in color coordination or as the Malay say these days, tak sedondon with her husband. 

She has her own causes, like Permata. That we truly appreciate because her perseverence or plainly said, pestering helped make it what it is. Left to government bureaucrasy, the young will be left unattended.

Coming from a family and extended family of cikgus, we appreciated the importance and noble intention of Permata.

Our mother is a teacher all her working life from her late teens till her early 60s. She can spot the kid that will make from day one in Standard one. Her conclusion on why Malay students slack is because of lack of early childhood education. 

A cousin with doctorate in childhood development is involved in Permata. A sister in law is involved in the Permata centre for autism children. Her son, coincidently is Najib, has autism and such children are highly talented but need professional guidance.

Rosmah has done and will continue do some good but the fact she is Rosmah, she will constantly be roasted for her mistakes and be lost in perception.

Since she is a public figure or made herself prominently public, otherwise Lee Kuan Yew would not have made it a point to visit Najib and meet her at their home, just live and deal with it. No point getting angry.

Given to us to make the call, appoint her as cabinet member and replace some of those donkeys.

-Another Brick in the Wall