What is Rosmah saying? She used the jet for work not fun - but she has no work to do. She is merely the spouse of Najib, the PM. She can accompany Najib on official trips - but certainly not go on her own to represent the government, the Prime Minister or the cabinet.
Rosmah Mansor does not have any role in Malaysian government, and she has no business representing Malaysia for anything. Of course, as any other person, she can be invited to present a paper at some international forum but that is on her individual capacity - same goes for visits to people of power. In her individual capacity means also that she must bear her own cost - and Malaysia should be paying for her.
It looks like Malaysia's Prime Minister (Rosmah's spouse), the Malaysian Cabinet and Malaysian public servants need her. Even to deliver a keynote speech entitled 'The Empowerment of Malaysian Women', Malaysia sent Rosmah Mansor, and this allegedly was a Malaysian cabinet decision - it should really have been the relevant Minister (or the Deputy) or some senior official from the relevant Ministry or someone from the Human Rights Commissionor or some human rights Defender. But no, Malaysian cabinet not only seem to have approved Rosmah Mansor but did not sent her by MAS but allowed the usage of a jet (whose cost some say would be about half a million everytime it comes and goes?)
And here is Malaysia, lamenting and saying that it is having financial difficulties so much so it can no longer help subsidize essential materials and the cost of living of the poor is increasing. No money yet you waste so much...
In my earlier posting, I mentioned that if Najib really is so desperate for the assistance of Rosmah, he can legally appoint her into the Cabinet, first of course making her a Senator - What about making Rosmah a Senator, bringing her into cabinet, appointing her DPM?
Article 43(2) The Cabinet shall be appointed as follows, that is to say:(b) he shall on the advice of the Prime Minister appoint other Menteri (Ministers) from among the members of either House of Parliament;
Article 43A (1) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may on the advice of the Prime Minister appoint Deputy Ministers from among the members of either House of Parliament;
Article 43B (1) The Prime Minister may appoint Parliamentary Secretaries from among the members of either House of ParliamentArticle 43C (1) The Prime Minister may appoint such number of persons as he may think fit to be Political Secretaries.(2) A person appointed as a Political Secretary by virtue of this Article - (a) need not be a member of either House of Parliament;...
Now for Minister, Deputy Minister and Parliament Secretary all of whom Prime Minister Najib chooses, they must be an MP or a Senator
But for a Political Secretary - need not be a MP or Senator
Now, unfortunately the Constitution does not provide for the PM's wife - as such since Najib and the Cabinet sees her as so essential, maybe she should be made a Senator and appointed as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister, Deputy Minister or Parliamentary Secretary - or she can not be made Senator and just appointed as Political Secretary.
What are the powers of the Cabinet? What is the effect of a Cabinet Decision? Is it law? Or is it just mere 'policy' that is not legally binding? Malaysia needs an Act of Parliament to regulate the Prime Minister and the Cabinet that will make it clear whether Cabinet can decide the usage of a private jet and payments to mere individuals like Rosmah Mansor.
In Thailand, decisions of the Cabinet are published and has legal effect - but it Malaysia, it is really unclear, in my opinion.
Rosmah Mansor does not owe Malaysians any duty or obligation, and if anyone is to be taken to task it must be the Prime Minister (and maybe the Cabinet Ministers who made the decision) for the misuse of Malaysian people's monies.
Is this corruption? Maybe MACC should investigate.
Maybe we need to refer the matter to courts to determine whether what was expended on Rosmah Mansor's trips on her own (not when accompanying PM) included the utilization of national resources like the jet is an abuse of power of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet in excess of the powers they have as provided for in the Federal Constitution and/or the laws of Malaysia - maybe Anwar as Opposition leader should do this, maybe some other wakil rakyat??
Rosmah: Use of private jets for work, not fun
 |
Rosmah Mansor, the prime minister's wife, has defended her use of
government-sponsored private jets for visits abroad, saying these trips
were for work and not leisure.
According to a lengthy interview at her residence with Malaysia Gazette, Rosmah said her tight schedule has meant that the use of commercial airlines was unsuitable.
"We work to a schedule, especially when a programme is prepared by the host," she was quoted as saying.
She
said that the trips were referred to the cabinet, which had among other
factors, considered security and time, before granting approval.
The government-sponsored private jet facility had been in place even before her husband, Najib Abdul Razak, became prime minister, she said.
She was responding to criticism of her use of a private jet in a recent trip to Qatar which was first raised by Gombak MP Azmin Ali (left) in Parliament.
According to the interview, Rosmah had departed from Langkawi to Qatar, and then proceeded to Dubai, Sri Lanka and finally Bangladesh.
She explained that had she used commercial flights, there would be problems as not all the said countries had regular connecting flights.
Rosmah, in the interview, also elaborated in detail about the agenda of her trip.
Rosmah said she had first departed from Langkawi to Qatar to deliver a keynote speech entitled 'The Empowerment of Malaysian Women' and was honoured with an award at Qatar International Businesswomen Forum.
"In
my keynote address I shared with them the successes of Malaysian women
who are the pride of the nation. Ironically, while we are expressing
pride of our nation to the international public, there are disgruntled
voices on the home front.
"The international society eagerly pays tribute to Malaysia yet our people always have a negative outlook on what I do," she was quoted as saying.
The invitation for the event, said Rosmah, came from the Qatar embassy and had been referred to the Cabinet.
There, she had also met Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah Nasser Khalifa Al-Tani.
Even though criticised for calling on a head of government as she was just a prime minister's wife, Rosmah defended the move.
"As a guest of the country, was I wrong in asking to pay my respects to the prime minister as the host? When wives of other prime ministers visit Malaysia, they too would do the same," she was quoted as saying.
‘Fashion show was coincidental'
Rosmah also addressed criticism of her visit to a fashion show in Qatar, saying that the even was organised by Malaysians and she was invited as she happened to be in the country on official business.
"I was not in Qatar because of the fashion show. I was in Qatar on an official invitation and happened to watch the fashion show organised by Malaysians there at their invitation.
"I am always supportive of any efforts by Malaysians wherever they are," she told the news portal.
She then flew to Dubai on invitation by Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, the wife of Dubai's ruler, to assist the emirate in setting up a programme similar to Malaysia's Permata, an early childhood education programme.
According to the interview, among the many activities there included visits to the Dubai Humanitarian City and Dubai Healthcare City that housed various humanitarian agencies.
Later, she flew to Colombo, Sri Lanka to join her husband for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and then to Bangladesh for an official visit to extend aid for children.
‘My international links helped Malaysia'
She also repeated her contributions in using her international contacts to help evacuate stranded Malaysian students in Egypt and freeing a Malaysian student in Egypt who was arrested for suspected spying.
Najib (right) had revealed the these exact deeds by his wife at the Umno general assembly when he spoke in defense of her.
"Without sounding boastful, my close relationships with the wives of other foreign leaders have at time proved advantageous for Malaysians."
"I did not expect people to thank me or be appreciative of the little efforts I put in.
"But please stop looking for faults in others, or meddle in other people's affairs.
"And don't create stories, for that is a major sin. I never talk bad of others, I never bad-mouth the opposition," Rosmah was quoted as saying. - Malaysiakini, 16/12/2013, Rosmah: Use of private jets for work, not fun
According to a lengthy interview at her residence with Malaysia Gazette, Rosmah said her tight schedule has meant that the use of commercial airlines was unsuitable.
"We work to a schedule, especially when a programme is prepared by the host," she was quoted as saying.
She
said that the trips were referred to the cabinet, which had among other
factors, considered security and time, before granting approval.The government-sponsored private jet facility had been in place even before her husband, Najib Abdul Razak, became prime minister, she said.
She was responding to criticism of her use of a private jet in a recent trip to Qatar which was first raised by Gombak MP Azmin Ali (left) in Parliament.
According to the interview, Rosmah had departed from Langkawi to Qatar, and then proceeded to Dubai, Sri Lanka and finally Bangladesh.
She explained that had she used commercial flights, there would be problems as not all the said countries had regular connecting flights.
Rosmah, in the interview, also elaborated in detail about the agenda of her trip.
Rosmah said she had first departed from Langkawi to Qatar to deliver a keynote speech entitled 'The Empowerment of Malaysian Women' and was honoured with an award at Qatar International Businesswomen Forum.
"In
my keynote address I shared with them the successes of Malaysian women
who are the pride of the nation. Ironically, while we are expressing
pride of our nation to the international public, there are disgruntled
voices on the home front."The international society eagerly pays tribute to Malaysia yet our people always have a negative outlook on what I do," she was quoted as saying.
The invitation for the event, said Rosmah, came from the Qatar embassy and had been referred to the Cabinet.
There, she had also met Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah Nasser Khalifa Al-Tani.
Even though criticised for calling on a head of government as she was just a prime minister's wife, Rosmah defended the move.
"As a guest of the country, was I wrong in asking to pay my respects to the prime minister as the host? When wives of other prime ministers visit Malaysia, they too would do the same," she was quoted as saying.
‘Fashion show was coincidental'
Rosmah also addressed criticism of her visit to a fashion show in Qatar, saying that the even was organised by Malaysians and she was invited as she happened to be in the country on official business.
"I was not in Qatar because of the fashion show. I was in Qatar on an official invitation and happened to watch the fashion show organised by Malaysians there at their invitation.
"I am always supportive of any efforts by Malaysians wherever they are," she told the news portal.
She then flew to Dubai on invitation by Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, the wife of Dubai's ruler, to assist the emirate in setting up a programme similar to Malaysia's Permata, an early childhood education programme.
According to the interview, among the many activities there included visits to the Dubai Humanitarian City and Dubai Healthcare City that housed various humanitarian agencies.
Later, she flew to Colombo, Sri Lanka to join her husband for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and then to Bangladesh for an official visit to extend aid for children.
‘My international links helped Malaysia'
She also repeated her contributions in using her international contacts to help evacuate stranded Malaysian students in Egypt and freeing a Malaysian student in Egypt who was arrested for suspected spying.
Najib (right) had revealed the these exact deeds by his wife at the Umno general assembly when he spoke in defense of her."Without sounding boastful, my close relationships with the wives of other foreign leaders have at time proved advantageous for Malaysians."
"I did not expect people to thank me or be appreciative of the little efforts I put in.
"But please stop looking for faults in others, or meddle in other people's affairs.
"And don't create stories, for that is a major sin. I never talk bad of others, I never bad-mouth the opposition," Rosmah was quoted as saying. - Malaysiakini, 16/12/2013, Rosmah: Use of private jets for work, not fun
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