Don’t trust opposition portals, Rosmah tells students

Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor says opposition portals love to twist facts about the government and tarnish Putrajaya's image. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, June 22, 2014.

While her husband is suing a news portal, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor today warned students not to be quick to trust news spread by opposition portals‎, adding that they should instead check the veracity of such reports.

The wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said ‎the opposition would twist facts to tarnish Putrajaya's image, citing as an example the goods and services tax (GST) which will be introduced next April.

"Students must read newspapers, do not read opposition portals. If you read the newspapers and watch television, you will find that the government is not as bad as how the opposition likes to describe it.

‎"Take the GST, for example. The opposition likes to twist the facts, so do not listen to them," she said at the Wanita Umno's Nadi Negara award ceremony in ‎Kuala Lumpur today.

However, she did not name any of the so-called opposition-controlled portals.

Najib has filed a libel suit against online news portal Malaysiakini’s publisher, Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, and two of its editors.

Co-plaintiff in the suit is Umno, which is represented by the political party’s public officer Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh.

Najib is suing in his personal capacity.

The plaintiffs claim that the defendants had allowed the publication of two alleged defamatory articles in the “Yoursay” column of Malaysiakini on May 14.

Najib said the articles had implied that he was an immoral politician, not credible and incompetent as the party president and prime minister.

He said the defendants had allowed the publication of the articles merely to destroy the people’s trust and confidence in him for their own agenda.

Rosmah today also took a swipe at critics who had criticised her and singled out a claim about the excessive water bill at the prime minister’s official residence – Seri Perdana –which blogs claimed was linked to her swimming.

‎She denied that the water bill for Seri Perdana, exceeded RM300,000 in 2012.

‎"That story came out before the last general election. Some claimed that when I entered the pool in Seri Perdana, there would be no water,” she said.

"I do not know how to swim. If that perso‎n wants to meet me, I will tell them I really do not know how to swim."

- TMI