Memang Jenis Menghabiskan Harta Rakyat....

Charlize Theron Raikan Najib-Rosmah Di New York...
Hebat...hebat...

Rosmah, Rosmah: Why won't they tell us how much you spent ...
Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Malaysia's government refused to divulge how much it spent on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s wife Rosmah Mansor during her recent visit to New York, where an expensive advertisement was controversially placed in the New York Times welcoming her to the city and with the words Malaysia is proud of you conspicuously inserted.

“All they would say is that the PM’s wife’s expenses were included in the PM’s official bill,” Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrishnan told Malaysia Chronicle.

“Obviously, this is not an acceptable answer and Parliament should be shocked at the government’s refusal to disclose. The people asked for this information and they have the right to know.”

A good time in the city that never sleeps

Rosmah, a former banker, is not a popular figure with the Malaysian public who are uncomfortable with her strong-willed manner and lavish tastes.

Not only did the NYT advertisement set tongues wagging nationwide, the fabulous manner in which Najib and his wife were feted shocked their countrymen and raised questions as to who would be footing the bill. The ensuing public outcry put the first couple on the defensive and their minders later told the press that an appreciative NGO had footed the bill for the ad.

The cost of the ad is believed to range between RM500,000 to RM800,000 - a princely sum enough to buy 10 low to medium-cost homes. In other words, a small fortune to the average Malaysian wage-earner.

Was it APCO and what would be its motive

But that was not the only extravagance. The Malaysian leader and his wife were entertained like royalty at the five-star St Regis Hotel, where Rosmah was conferred an award from the Business Council for International Understanding.

The award itself was called the International Peace and Harmony Award. Not only is it not well known but Rosmah is the first-ever recipient, raising questions as to whether it was specially created for her by Najib's public relations firm APCO.

"The reply the government gave me was just as evasive as the answer they gave Gobala," Batu MP Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"They repeated the advertisment was paid by an NGO but didn't say which NGO. I mean, which NGO would want to pay for this very expensive advertisment? Who would want to glorify Rosmah? Was it APCO? How can they afford to spend so much on her alone? What is their motive?

According to online news portal The Nutgraph, the star-studded event was emceed by Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx and attended by Hollywood glitterati including Oscar-winning Robert De Niro and Charlize Theron, and Emmy Rossum. Performances by Grammy-award nominee Leona Lewis, and the Harlem Boys Choir were also held. A rendition of We Are the World led by Foxx and sung by De Niro, Theron and others ended the night.

Various blog postings and Tweets on the event told of how well Foxx warmed the party up. One blogger, who attended the event, wrote that Foxx performed a “flirty” karaoke version of You’ve Got a Friend with Rosmah, and danced with Najib.
Posted by Firdaus Omar at 7/01/2010