Quit as Permata patron if can't handle scrutiny, Yeo tells Rosmah

The prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor, should quit as Permata patron if she cannot handle public scrutiny, said Damansara Utama state assemblyperson Yeo Bee Yin.

"Rosmah has time and again made herself sound like a victim of public scrutiny over the management of a government agency and tax-payers monies.

"I would like to suggest to her to resign as the patron of Permata if she can’t take the heat of scrutiny and meet the request for accountability and transparency," said the DAP lawmaker.

She was responding to Rosmah who yesterday said she didn't take Permata's funds for herself and urged the public not to politicise the early childhood programme.

Yeo stressed that seeking clarification about a government agency funded by taxpayers' money was not "politicising" the matter.

"It is called public scrutiny and accountability.

"She seems to forget that the public fund used by Permata is from all the hardworking Malaysians who pay their hard-earned monies as taxes to Putrajaya.

"Hence Malaysians have every right to scrutinise how Permata programmes are run," she said.

Yeo said there was no question about the need to develop early childhood education in Malaysia.

"But why do we need a separate agency under Prime Minister Department (PMD) and the wife of the prime minister as the patron?

"Why does the wife of the prime minister, who is not elected by the people, have such a big role in government?" she asked.

Yeo repeated the opposition's proposal for the programmes to be parked under the respective full ministries which she said are better equipped and experienced in the relevant fields.

For example, she said under the Childcare Act 1984, the Social Welfare Department under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is the regulator for all childcare centres in Malaysia.

"Since the women's ministry is overseeing workplace childcare, community childcare and all other childcare centres, there is no reason that Permata Negara programme not be parked under the women's ministry but under a division in PMD.

"Permata's other programmes also overlap with the roles of Education Ministry as well as Rural and Regional Development Ministry.

"Therefore, if Rosmah really wishes for the best for the children of Malaysia, she should leave early childhood development to the ministries that have more expertise running it," said Yeo.- Mkini