Woes of a PM’s wife today, by PM’s aide Rizal

Allegations were also spread about wives of past PMs but there was no social media to make it viral, he says.

KUALA LUMPUR: Being the wife of a prime minister today is a bigger and tougher challenge because of allegations and falsehood spread on social media, says Rizal Mansor, an aide to the Prime Minister.

“Many people are unaware of the fact that the wives of prime ministers in the past had also fallen victims to baseless accusations, but back then, the accusations did not go viral like today,” said Rizal, who is principal assistant director in the Special Division of the Prime Minister’s Office.

He said those who knew Rosmah well would know that she was actually a warm and approachable person.

Speaking at a retreat organised by the communications ministry last night, Rizal urged the public not to be easily duped by stories from spin doctors aimed at Rosmah, as such stories were not supported by solid evidence.

Rizal said that the Permata Negara programme, of which Rosmah is patron, was established because the Prime Minister’s wife had wanted to make a contribution to early childhood education, which had received less attention from society.

He said Permata was not a waste, but an investment in the education of children, in which the results could only be seen later in the future.