Siti Hasmah And Not Rosmah Was Malaysia’s First “First Lady”
By Raja Petra Kamarudin On Oct 7, 2021
(Malaysiakini) – Rosmah Mansor testified that she does not know whether her mother-in-law was the First Lady of Malaysia.
The wife of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak gave this answer during her corruption trial today related to the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid energy project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
During cross-examination before the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram was questioning the accused about whether the wives of prime ministers before Najib were known as the First Lady of Malaysia.
In previous trial proceedings before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, the court heard that during Najib’s tenure as prime minister, a First Lady of Malaysia (FLOM) division was established in the Prime Minister’s Department.
The court previously heard that the division was tasked with planning and coordinating the official functions that need to be attended by Rosmah, among other duties.
Sri Ram today questioning Rosmah whether Rahah Noah, the wife of Malaysia’s second prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein, was ever known as First Lady of Malaysia.
Razak and Rahah were the parents of Najib, as well as the parents-in-law of Rosmah.
“I do not know. I was not yet married to Najib (at the time),” Rosmah said.
When asked by Sri Ram whether then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali was ever known as First Lady of Malaysia, Rosmah answered that she do not know.
Sri Ram: Do you agree that FLOM is a title you assumed yourself?
Rosmah: No.
Sri Ram: You gave yourself the title?
Rosmah: No. Nobody gave me the tile. It was just for administrative purposes.
She explained that as the wife of then premier Najib, she was busy with numerous official functions in Malaysia such as welfare projects like Permata Negara as well as overseas activities such as delivering keynote addresses at international functions.
Rosmah, 70, is facing three charges under Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.
In the first charge, she is accused of soliciting RM187.5 million in bribes from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd to help secure an Education Ministry project.
The RM1.25 billion project was intended to supply power to 369 rural schools in Sarawak using a combination of solar and diesel energy.
In the second and third charges, she is accused of receiving RM1.5 million and RM5 million in bribes respectively as a reward for securing the project.
On Feb 18 this year, the High Court ordered Rosmah to enter her defence, following its finding that the prosecution succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against her.
***
kt notes:
I recall the riotous but nasty glee yesteryears when mainly Pakatan supporters jeered at Rosmah for allegedly calling herself the 'First Lady of Malaysia' (FLOM).
Now we read that Siti Hasmah was the one who was first given the Americanised title of 'FLOM'.
The USA does not have a queen thus the wife of her President is known as the 'First Lady'. Seemingly since the time of PM Mahathir, Malaysia has both a Queen and a FLOM (who was, contrary to Pakatan expectation, Toh Puan Siti).
KT and RPK Bullshut lah...
ReplyDeleteIn all the years of the 4th Prime Minister, there was never any incident of Siti Hasmah being referred to as First Lady of Malaysia.
From Tatler (18 Dec 2018) - https://www.tatlerasia.com/the-scene/people-parties/the-tun-dr-siti-hasmah-award-recognising-outstanding-individuals-who-contribute-towards-ending-aids -:
DeleteOne of the things that struck us during one of the speeches during the gala was when the Minister of Health, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said, "Although we don't talk about sex, it is about time we do, in the context of public health." Following that Professor Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman announced that the event has successfully raised RM1.68mil towards ending the AIDS epidemic – a feat which was celebrated beautifully by also awarding outstanding individuals the prestigious Tun Dr Siti Hasmah award, by our first lady herself. The awardees recognised for their efforts were the Teratak Kasih Tok Nan Project, Datin Mina Cheah-Foong, Yayasan Sime Darby and Matron Fadzilah Abdul Hamid all of whom are working towards getting to zero – zero discrimination, zero new infections and zero AIDS-related deaths.
KT clutching at straws and bullshiting.
DeleteThat article was 2018, and no usage of Proper Noun "First Lady of Malaysia" to refer to Situ Hasmah.
I have only ever seen that used to refer to Rosmah.
So lucu KT now resort to quoting Tatler…ha ha ha…
DeleteAnd how dare we compare Bonnie with our beloved Tun Siti Hasmah. She was and is the original humble spouse. No airs about her.
Ok lah if wan to compare let’s talk handbags…..
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Siti Hasmah’s Classy Handbag is Revealed And It’s 20 Times Cheaper Than a Birkin
May 23, 2018 By Pui Fun
Not long ago, Malaysians were bowled over by the amount of luxury handbags that Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor allegedly owns and the price of each of them. She is usually spotted with the designer Hermès Birkin bag that can cost an eye-watering amount of money, which further enforced the people’s suspicion about the former Prime Minister’s wife’s lavish spending. Those bags can have the same price tag as a condominium unit!
Naturally, netizens were intrigued when Tun Dr Siti Hasmah arrived with her husband, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he clocked in for work at the Prime Minister’s department on May 21. She was seen clutching an elegant and gorgeous handbag that had Malaysians wondering about the price and brand as it doesn’t look familiar.
At first, a Facebook fan page of PM Mahathir posted that she was using a Marie Claire handbag that only cost RM125 on Zalora but users quickly realised that the bag doesn’t really look the same. Thanks to an eagle-eyed reader from Coconuts, it’s pretty likely that the bag is actually from a brand called Hamano.
Never heard of the brand before? Neither have we! Looks like out First Lady is a real classy lady who chooses quality and understated style instead of the more ostentatious brands. Hamano is reportedly a Japanese leather bag heritage brand that focuses on craftsmanship and design.
This cool brand actually has over a century of tradition and was used by Japanese imperial families and royal families around the world! Trust Siti Hasmah to use such a timeless bag! The bag is priced at US$533 (RM2,122) and is fully made of leather.
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2018 or otherwise, if you choose to ignore the article in Tatler, I can't help your stubbornness and of course hatred for Rosmah, wakakaka
Deletewakakaka, TS as usual the BS-ter par excellence shifted the landscape from title to handbags
DeleteKey aspect of KT's accusation was that Siti Hasmah was the one who was first given the Americanised title of 'FLOM'.
DeleteThere is absolutely no evidence of that, and the Tattler article in December 2018 certainly does not do as evidence.
Rosmah had FLOM stationery printed in 2009, per witness statements.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nst.com.my/amp/news/crime-courts/2020/09/623198/rosmah-gave-rm100000-monthly-cybertroopers-protect-her-reputation
Official Statement from the Gomen of Maldives has a better ring than Tatler Magazine don't you think....?
ReplyDeletehttps://maldives.org.my/2017/12/prime-minister-and-first-lady-of-malaysia-arrive-in-the-maldives-on-official-visit
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PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LADY OF MALAYSIA ARRIVE IN THE MALDIVES ON OFFICIAL VISIT
At the invitation of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak and First Lady Datin Paduka Rosmah Mansor have arrived in the Maldives this evening.
The Malaysian Prime Minister and First Lady were greeted on arrival at the Velana International Airport, by Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Asim, Minister of Home Affairs H.E. Azleen Ahmed and his Spouse. Upon arrival, the Malaysian Prime Minister proceeded to inspect the Honour Guard by the Maldives National Defence Force.
During the Prime Minister’s two day visit, Maldives and Malaysia will hold bilateral discussions towards further enhancing existing ties, and development partnerships, between the two nations. A number of memoranda of understanding will also be signed during the visit.
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https://presidency.gov.mv/Press/Article/18597
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Prime Minister and First Lady of Malaysia conclude Official Visit to the Maldives
20 December 2017
Prime Minister of Malaysia, His Excellency Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Abdul Razak and First Lady Madam Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, have concluded their official visit to the Maldives.
The Malaysian Prime Minister and First Lady were seen off at the Velana International Airport by Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohamed Asim, Minister of Home Affairs Azleen Ahmed and his Spouse.
During the visit, President Yameen met with Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia, and discussed matters of mutual concern. Official talks were also held between the Maldives and Malaysia, where deliberations were mainly focused on strengthening cooperation between the two countries in different areas.
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All Gifts given to US Presidents remain Bully-Gomen Property (not like in Malay-sia some PMs gasak...ha ha ha). Here is the official list received by President Obama from 2009-2012, all 274 of them.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/08/04/every-gift-given-to-barack-obama-between-2009-and-2012-ranked/
I reprint here Gift #138:
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138. Malaysia, 2011:
36″ x 94″ purple batik with blue fringe, and a silver, green, orange, red, and blue pattern. 36″ x 94″ pink batik with white fringe and a silver, purple, blue, green, and orange pattern; Two books, title: "The Discerning Voice of the First Lady Rosmah" contained in cardboard book sleeves.
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KT will have to dig that Joke of A Magazine Tatler deeper....before 2011, otherwise Rosmah got the FLOM title first before Tun Siti...ha ha ha....
ReplyDeleteEven Jibby referred to wifey as First Lady of Malaysia...back in 2010...ha ha ha...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.malaysiakini.com/news/134579
QUOTE
Najib: 'First Lady' not higher than the queen
Aidila Razak
Published: Jun 15, 2010
Prime Minister Najib Razak today explained that the term ‘First Lady' used to describe his wife Rosmah Mansor does not elevate her to a position higher than the Queen...
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And who can forget the New York Post Ad placed by the gomen for the First Lady of Malaysia.....back in 2010....did Tun Siti ever seek such glory....?
ReplyDeletehttps://thenutgraph.com/rosmah-ad-govts-behalf/
QUOTE
Rosmah ad placed on govt’s behalf
By Koh Lay Chin | May 11, 2010
PETALING JAYA, 11 May 2010: A recent two-page spread in the New York Times, costing thousands of US dollars and featuring the prime minister’s wife, was placed on behalf of the Malaysian government.
In an e-mail response to questions from The Nut Graph, the New York Times said: “The advertisement was placed by an ad agency on behalf of the Malaysian government.”
The response from New York Times executive director of community affairs and media relations, Diane McNulty, reveals that the ad was not placed by private individuals, as suggested by the last line in the ad’s congratulatory message.
McNulty, however, declined to disclose how much the ad cost, saying the company never discusses the cost of an individual ad as there are many variables and rates involved. These include the kind of schedule the ad purchaser has with the company, as well as the advertising category it falls within.
However, research on previous full-page ads taken out in the New York Times suggests that the cost of such advertisements ranges from US$180,000 to US$230,000. This amounts to between RM580,000 and RM740,000 for a one-page ad.
A two-page colour spread such as the one featuring Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor is expected to cost far more.
The ad was placed on 16 April 2010, on the last day of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak‘s visit to the US, to congratulate Rosmah on her being conferred a little-known International Peace and Harmony Award.
The ad welcomed Rosmah as Malaysia’s “First Lady” to New York, and carried the message: “In recognition of your effort to promote peace, harmony and understanding among the people of Malaysia and your courageous acts in making a difference to the lives of people and children around the world. Malaysia is proud of you.”
It was signed off: “Best wishes from family and friends in USA and Malaysia.”
The ad did not name the Business Council for International Understanding, the outfit that gave Rosmah the award.
Against a backdrop of controversies surrounding the hiring of media relations firm Apco Worldwide Sdn Bhd, and Rosmah‘s alleged interference in government matters, the two-page ad has stirred up gossip and blog postings about who paid for it.
It has also been noted that while Rosmah was prominently featured in the ad in a respected and established newspaper, US media coverage of Najib’s visit and meeting with President Barack Obama was scant.
Malaysian Ambassador to the US Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis was pictured in Malaysian media showing US newspaper coverage in conjunction with Najib’s visit. But as the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang has pointed out, this appears to have been an advertorial in the Washington Times.
The New York Times‘s McNulty would not reveal which ad agency placed the order for the ad on behalf of the Malaysian government in her paper. But if the Malaysian government has hired an ad agency, why is taxpayers’ money being used to promote Rosmah and an obscure award in the US, instead of the prime minister and the country?
The Nut Graph contacted both Jamaluddin’s office in Washington, DC and the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya last week about the government’s involvement in the ad, and how much it cost.
Both offices confirmed having received The Nut Graph‘s questions, but neither has replied thus far.
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