‘Sincere’ Rosmah defends her work for gifted children
Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (pic) took on her critics who had repeatedly questioned her work in the Permata Negara project, saying that the early education programme was to benefit the nation's children.
The wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said despite the brickbats, she remained unfazed because she is sincere in running the programme.
"Don't believe what you hear. I am sincerely telling you the programme is not for me, but for our children to improve in their education.
"Never mind the criticism. I am strong. I am sincere. I know what I do today is sincere because of Allah. Let them say what they want to say.
"If they die tomorrow, they have to ask me for forgiveness. Some people do not like to see us successful," she said in her speech at the Second Picoms Convocation at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
The Permata Negara project, under the patronage of Rosmah, had received allocations of RM150 million in 2013, RM111 million in 2012 and RM100 million in 2011.
In June, PAS' Rantau Panjang Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff had asked Putrajaya why the government was not developing agencies such as Kemas, and was only focusing on Permata.
"Is this an agenda to raise the prime minister's wife's name?" she had asked during question time in Parliament.
Rosmah said Malaysians should realised that allocations for the Permata programme was not given to her, but to the relevant ministries.
She said the negative perceptions towards her have to stop because the programme was aimed at safeguarding the welfare of rural children.
"If the prime minister included this in the budget, don't say it belongs to Rosmah. It is not mine, but for all our children. I don't get a single sen. People say all kinds of things, that this is Najib's, and that belongs to Rosmah.
"I don't see a single sen. Everything is kept in the finance ministry. I am taking care of the needs of the rural children, so don't get angry at me for it," she said.
She called on people not to believe what was written in the blogs with negative criticism against her on the Permata programme.
She said whatever noble efforts undertaken by the government would received opposition from certain quarters and as such, it should be taken as a challenge to make it successful.
"We should not believe what was said in the blogs. Those blogs do not like to see our children succeed.
"Who is promoting Permata Negara? Rosmah is the one ... (and) they do not like this. Not many people like to see us succeed and these people will go on talking and criticising." she added. – September 1, 2014.
