Grandstanding Governorness

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak and dear darling first lady expressed their gratefulness that Tourism Malaysian representative in Sweden’s children are back in Malaysia, amidst the complications arisen from their parents’ arrest by Swedish Police since 18 December 2013.

01 February 2014| last updated at 03:22PM

Najib thanks Sweden for the return of the 4 children of Malaysian couple

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KUALA LUMPUR : Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak thanked the Swedish government for its special consideration which has enabled four children of a Malaysian couple detained there, to return home today.

“I understand, prior to this, it was very difficult (to obtain permission to bring home), but due to the good relations between Malaysia and Sweden and in the spirit of the Convention on the Rights of the Child signed by both nations, they had given their agreement,” he told reporters at his residence in Jalan Langgak Duta, here, today.

The children of the couple, Azizul Raheem Awalludin and Shalwati Norshal, who were detained on Dec 18, 2013 on a charge of beating the hand of their youngest son for not praying, arrived at the residence of the Prime Minister at 1pm.

Aishah, 14; Ammar, 12; Adam, 11 dan Arif, 7, were accompanied by deputy Foreign Minister, Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin.

Fatigued after a journey of 17 hours from Stockholm, they appeared cheerful when received by Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

They also spent time in conversation and asking about the children, who were accompanied by relatives.–Bernama

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor speaks to the four siblings- Aisyah, Ammar, Adam and Arif at PM’s residence in Jalan Langgak Duta. Pix by Khairull Azry Bidin.

Read more: Najib thanks Sweden for the return of the 4 children of Malaysian couple – Latest – New Straits Timeshttp://www.nst.com.my/latest/najib-thanks-sweden-for-the-return-of-the-4-children-of-malaysian-couple-1.474932#ixzz2sHikQhVN

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The children were whisked directly from KLIA, when they arrived from Stockholm in over 17 hours journey to be entertained by Prime Minister Najib and Rosmah. Later in the evening, the children left on a Firefly flight to be with immediate family of their mother in Ketereh, Kelantan.

Some people questioned why should the children call on Prime Minister Najib and Rosmah upon their arrival, instead of being with their family who are most probably been having a lot of anxiety and feeling down since their kin were arrested by Swedish Police since 18 December.

That is not as damaging on what Rosmah had to say to the media during the press conference.

Excerpts from NST story ‘We’ll do all we can for the couple’2 February 2014:

Rosmah, who said she was deeply concerned about the children’s welfare, said she was ready to seek an audience with the King and Queen of Sweden should Hamzah’s mission fail.

“I have established a good relationship with the King and Queen of Sweden, who are sensitive towards the welfare of their children and their subjects.”

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Is it necessary for Rosmah to grandstand like that and in that condescending tone?

So had Deputy Foreign Minister Dato’ Hamzah Zainuddin’s week long mission and the entire Malaysian permanent emissary to Stockholm failed, she would have called on the King and Queen of Sweden. Just like how and what she did when she called on Susan Mubarak and members of the Saudi Royal family.

What is with her and being validated for the credit?

Can’t she work behind the curtain and not claim or acknowledged for her personal relationships, which is more valuable than years of G-to-G relationship and diplomacy?

It is alarming that she could be portrayed as someone who is so hard up for acknowledgement and attention. Her simplistic ‘self-generated advertisement’ could result to the Malaysian public rendering lesser if not diminishing respect for civil servants and career diplomats, who have dedicated their entire professional life in the service of His Majesty’s Government.

Probably one of these days senior civil servants would boldly demand that Rosmah be given a special consultation space and schedule in all Urban Transformation Centres (UTC) by rotation, to serve the multi-layered and complex rakyats’ issues deemed unresolved by over 1.2 million civil servants.