THE recently unveiled website of Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor was designed to gift Malaysians with the opportunity to get to know our dear first lady better:
“As a wife, I always accompany the Prime Minister to official functions … We feel that it is a very good idea so that people will be able to know about the things that I do, my qualifications and the associations and organisations I’m involved in,” Rosmah said at the launch of her website.
Three items to note:
The colour theme of Rosmah’s site, while pink by default, may be changed; there are five different themes. This function works perfectly.
As a nod towards multiculturalism, the site links to automatic translators, from Chinese to French to Russian — but Tamil language services, according to the disclaimer, are sadly unavailable. This function works, depending on whether the text is in English or Malay (English gets translated, Malay doesn’t).
Michelle Obama (Public domain) Finally, the site’s presence on the PM’s Office official website proves Rosmah’s stature as a certified arm of government. Rosmah says that the wives of presidents and prime ministers abroad, like Michelle Obama, already have their own websites. Though, as Niki Cheong points out, Mrs Obama only has an eight-paragraph bio on the White House page, not an entire microsite.
When asked whether her new instrument to “hear the heartbeat of the people” could receive public feedback, Rosmah answered, “We don’t have that facility yet.”
Politicians’ spouses riding on the cyber-shoulders of their elected significant others aren’t that uncommon. Just take Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, consort to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who had a huge online following before he become opposition leader. One gains some real power this way.
Regardless, I was amused to watch others walking in Rosmah’s footsteps. Not even a week after the PM’s wife launched her portal, Datin Seri Lestari Rahman, the wife of Absolute Authority Minister Datuk Seri Wan Azhad Karim, also launched a website, http://www.kemut.gov.my/datinlestari, so that Malaysians would have the opportunity to know her better:
Rosmah Mansor (Source: ncdrc.
upsi.edu.my)“I’ve discussed this with administrators from the ministry, as well as officers of the Special Branch,” said Lestari at the launch. “We feel that this is good for people to know about the things I do, my qualifications, and my hobbies.
“It will also show a softer side to the ministry, to counter those from the opposition who like to paint my husband and I in a negative light,” Lestari added, referring to rumours that implicate Wan Azhad in the death of a Czech gymnast.
When asked about the fact that the website was publicly funded, Lestari defended herself by stressing that as a spouse of a minister, “I am automatically part of the Malaysian government.”
Below is the transcript of the greeting video that plays when one visits Lestari’s portal:
Salam sejahtera.
Welcome to my website. The objective of this website is to provide an opportunity for Malaysians from various broadband speeds to get to know me, Datin Seri Lestari Rahman, better
(Caption: Datin Seri Lestari Rahman, spokesperson of the Ministry of Absolute Authority [KeMut])
as well as understand and appreciate my roles and responsibilities as the wife of the Minister of Absolute Authority. As a wife, I am expected to accompany the minister to official functions and riot control operations.
(Caption: This website is fully funded by KeMut)
Nevertheless, I feel that it is also my responsibility to get to know the rakyat, by listening to their dilemmas, and understanding their concerns, to enable me to assist in whatever ways I could. I also believe it is my responsibility to support the Minister in realising his vision of Malaysia as a peaceful, orderly society.
(Caption: Created by Lestari Internet Productions Sdn Bhd)
I feel that the area that I can contribute [to] the most is public relations. If you have any complaints or questions about my duties, or about the police, Special Branch, or National Surveillance Corps, or any other function of KeMut, feel free to contact me through this website.
(Caption: E-mail and messaging functions still under construction)
Also, it is my duty to remind the rakyat to analyse information on the internet wisely, and not be influenced by messages comprising elements of incitement and slander – such as the misleading reports about deaths in custody. Visiting websites that carry views not approved by the ministry may put you at risk.
(Caption: Audio translations available in the following languages: English)
As the official auntie to all the rakyat, I feel that another area in which I can contribute is the care of children.
(Caption: Bahasa Malaysia)
If you have a juvenile who has been manipulated to join in an illegal assembly or demonstration,
(Caption: Mandarin)
please inform the ministry through this website and a police officer will arrive at your residence within 24 hours to record a statement.
I hope this website will increase the overall understanding of my interaction with the rakyat. Let us all Malaysians, [irrespective] of our backgrounds, whether from the public or private sector, or from the [NGOs], or whether or not we have criminal records, help realise the prime minister’s dream of 1Malaysia.
Zedeck Siew is in no way affiliated with Lestari Internet Productions Sdn Bhd.
The Nut Graph needs your support
Angel Tan says
Can’t you find an actor that is five times heavier? This one is too skinny. The Minister of Absolute Authority likes to have a firm grip on those love handles.
Arion Yeow says
I found this article hilariously funny but also think it seems inappropriate to post it under the The Nut Graph name. Although I fully support the message of this article, I think it undermines The Nut Graph’s image of mature conduct and impartial reporting. I think this kind of article belongs to a personal blog, not a journalistic organisation’s website. Just my two cents, I’m guilty of having done something similar so I’m sharing a lesson learnt from experience.
Editor’s note: Thanks for your thoughtful and reasoned feedback. This article is actually part of Zedeck Siew’s regular, fortnightly column, called True Story. If you have been keeping up with his column, you will see that it is basically political satire. And political satire is a legitimate and highly respected tradition in the best of journalism – Mark Twain did it, Molly Ivins did it, and Joan Didion does it.
Besides, a column provides the columnist a different avenue of processing and analysing information compared to the format of, say, a commentary, a feature or a hard news piece. It is clear that Zedeck’s piece is a column, and not a commentary, feature or a news report. And specifically as far as columns are concerned, The Nut Graph tries, on the whole, to include as many diverse viewpoints as possible from both internal and external columnists.
Shanon Shah
Columns and Comments Editor
alimutuachong says
Zedeck … u teruk.
Nicholas Aw says
It is wonderful if the internet is used for a good purpose. However, I believe that Rosmah Mansor and perhaps some others have websites for one purpose only: WAYANG KULIT.
Yes, it is all for show only.
tokdalang says
Hey there, thanks.
I got a good laugh at a pathetic way to shut down the website as heroes rather than as naive journalists unable to make it work.
Invoking the name of Mark Twain is a great touch too, to justify this awful piece of video and bad acting. Heck, even Datin Rosmah is stiffer than this.
Keep it up. Now I know what you mean by good journalism.
My2cen says
You evil man, how can you equate the voluptuous Dotty to a youthful, skinny and pretty Pondan?
Hahahahaha!
crap says
Get educated … this is what happens when someone is not educated.
Chen says
OMG. I’m slightly disturbed by the fact that I find Datin Lestari hot.
Yoon Minn says
Closes dropped jaw* Datin Lestari has definitely stirred a Freudian flavour of civicness in me.
PAK PANDIR PASIR PUTEH says
I may be a simple kampung man. But I simply cannot understand why, and how, this charming, gracious and creative Datin Seri Lestari can have her original work so cruelly plagiarised by the members of some of this beautiful land’s leading ministerial families. Anywhere else such brazen copying would be recognised as a scandal. Shocking!
megabigBLUR says
You look cute in drag.
yeo kien kiong says
Her hair still looks like a radar.
Lydia Chai says
Camera loves you, Zedeck.