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Tag: Malaysia

  • A Guide To Being The PM’s Wife By Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali

    A Guide To Being The PM’s Wife By Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — A prime minister’s wife is there to support her husband in his duties and must resist competing with him for attention, according to Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali.

    In words that epitomised her position as arguably the most recognisable wife to a Malaysian prime minister despite her low profile, the spouse to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said such virtues were among those needed to perform the unofficial role, in an interview published by Malaysiakini today.

    “As the prime minister’s wife, do not compare (yourself with anyone). Generally, you have to support your husband, you have to be knowledgeable, you have to know what is happening around you and you have to make sure that you are together with your husband to meet with the people,” she said in the interview.

    “People like to know that this is the PM’s wife and that they are together, they are family-oriented. So you have to support your husband, definitely. But don’t compete with him,” she advised.

    The soft-spoken medical doctor by training explained that the wife of the prime minister was often an unofficial intermediary between the public and the head of the government.

    But despite the seeming power this conveyed, Dr Siti Hasmah said it was imperative that a prime minister’s wife avoid taking an active role in matters that are within her husband’s powers to decide.

    “They (the people) cannot see the PM. So, they want to see the wife, and then for no reason, they will ask for anything. Never promise anything. Just say that you will convey the message to your husband to consider.

    “You have no part in telling people that ‘yes, I will make sure you get this, you get that, you get the contract’,” she said further in the interview with the news portal.

    As part of her general tips, which she insisted was not directed at any person in particular, Dr Siti Hasmah pressed on the need to be humble, regardless of one’s station in life.

    She said she learned this lesson during her days as the first female Malay doctor in Kedah, where she treated the poor.

    “You may be a doctor or you may be a minister’s wife but if you are arrogant, they (the people) won’t accept you,” she said.

     

    Source: www.themalaymailonline.com

  • It’s A Wombat, Not A Pig

    It’s A Wombat, Not A Pig

    PETALING JAYA: Malaysians had better hit the text books and familiarise themselves with the animal kingdom before making false claims and causing panic among others.

    Just as one irresponsible member of the public did when mistaking a wombat for a pig. Incensed at the disrespect shown, this person posted online a screenshot of the digital advertisement featuring the animal, causing a panic in cyberspace and resulting in Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) having to temporarily pull it down.

    Mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib confirmed the pulling down of the advertisement along Jalan Bukit Bintang and said DBKL officials were trying to reach Servcorp, an Australia-based company the advertisement belonged to.

    “An irresponsible person perceived it as a pig and spread false rumours on the Internet which led to the public misconception,” the mayor was quoted as saying on The Star Online.

    He also agreed the animal in the digital advertisement was a wombat, a marsupial like kangaroos, wallabies and koala bear which Australia is famous for, and not a pig as claimed.

    The wombat in the Servcorp advertisement is named Sidney, which the company claims as the “world’s wisest wombat”.

    In the erroneous messages that went viral, Sidney was mistaken for a “pig wearing a songkok and baju Melayu while accompanied by a Selamat Hari Raya greeting”, the news portal said.

    Sidney is usually dressed in a hat, coat and brown pants.

     

    Source: www.freemalaysiatoday.com

  • Ad Featuring Wombat Wearing Songkok Taken Down After Muslim Mistake It For A Pig

    Ad Featuring Wombat Wearing Songkok Taken Down After Muslim Mistake It For A Pig

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — An electronic billboard in Bukit Bintang has purportedly been retracted after it upset some Muslims who mistook the wombat featured in a songkok and baju Melayu as a pig.

    News portal Mynewshub said the billboard by Australia-based company Servcorp, a serviced office and virtual office provider, that featured a Selamat Hari Raya greeting by the company’s mascot, Sydney the Wombat, could “confuse” Muslims even though the animal featured was not a pig.

    “Mynewshub understands that DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) has ordered the company to retract the billboard as it was put up without approval,” Mynewshub reported today.

    Malay Mail Online was unable to reach Servcorp Malaysia as it is the weekend, outside the company’s business hours from Monday to Friday.

    Some Facebook users also slammed Servcorp Malaysia on its Facebook page, with one called Ajoy Yusof saying: “do you know that pig is haram (forbidden) to Malay/Muslim….please change it or we will report your company to authority and sue your company for making fun of the Muslim and Malays”.

    A Facebook user called Farah Annesa, however, said in reply: “Dear All, please note that the animal depicted in the advert is an Australian Wombat. It has been an official mascot for Servcorp for years. Kindly do your research first. Selamat berpuasa everybody”.

    The consumption of pork is forbidden in Islam and the pig is considered offensive to many Malay-Muslims in Malaysia, with former sex bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee even being charged with sedition in 2013 for posting on Facebook a mock “Selamat Berbuka Puasa” (breaking of fast) greeting on Facebook featuring “bak kut teh”, a soupy pork dish.

    The Friends of BN — Barisan Nasional Facebook page said today that the Servcorp billboard was “disrespectful” to Muslims and posted that the advertisement has been retracted.

     

    Source: www,themalaymailonline.com

  • Denied Entry Over Dressing

    Denied Entry Over Dressing

    KUALA lUMPUR: I went to the Defence Ministry (Mindef) in Ampang to cover a pre­sentation of Hari Raya goodies to the armed forces by the Prime Minister’s wife, an event that was also attended by the Defence Minister and his deputy.

    I was dressed in a simple black-and-white piece with short sleeves and a hemline that ended just above my knees.

    Despite what I thought to be decent attire, I was denied entry at the guardhouse.

    At the counter to register my vehicle, an official told me to step back several times.

    I took a few small steps back until he told me: “Please step back further, I need to see what you are wearing.”

    He then said I would not be allowed in because my knees were showing.

    I protested by saying that I had covered Mindef events before, wearing both casual clothes such as T-shirts as well as in similar dresses, but the protest was to no avail.

    I also told him that I was a reporter and needed to get in to cover the event. He and a female staff member said they would check with the officials inside the building.

    They returned to say there was no response and instructed me to sit down and wait.

    At this point, another military policeman politely “assessed” my outfit, saying that I had violated the dress code.

    I said there should be consistency when enforcing the dress code, not as and when they like.

    As I didn’t want to miss my assignment, I went to retrieve a long skirt that was kept in my car for precisely this reason – overzealous dress code enforcers.

    Then another officer remarked: “See, Miss, you look nice like this as well.”

    I found the comment unprofessional.

    I later raised the issue with the deputy minister, who laughed it off.

    I couldn’t help thinking: if people meant to defend the nation can become so distracted by a pair of kneecaps, then our country is in trouble.

     

    Source: www.thestar.com.my

  • Naked On Cameron Highlands

    Naked On Cameron Highlands

    PETALING JAYA: First there was the Mount Kinabalu foreign nudists, now photographs of a man posing buck naked at Gunung Irau in Cameron Highlands has gone viral on social media sites and YouTube.

    All the shots, taken at the same spot, show him in various poses, standing in front of a signboard with the words Brinchang 2.35 km and the Malaysian flag in full view.

    It cannot be confirmed however if the bespectacled man, whose identity is still unknown, is a local or foreigner.

     

    Source: www.freemalaysiatoday.com