THE prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor defended her request for more funds for a Permata youth programme, saying that it was wrong of the opposition to accuse her of taking the money for herself.
“Sometimes we face constraints when we don’t have enough support. It’s important for programmes to have enough funds.
“Teresa Kok should not say that I am the one asking for money. I have never asked for money (for myself); if we want to run our programmes, we need money, if not what do we do,” Rosmah said, singling out the Seputeh MP from DAP who earlier this week in the Dewan Rakyat questioned the prime minister’s wife’s request for more funds.
Rosmah was speaking today at the Permata Perkasa youth day event in Kampung Muhibbah.
She said the youth programme under Permata needed funds to expand its reach beyond the Klang Valley and Federal Territory. Rosmah is the founder and patron of Permata, an early childhood education programme.
Rosmah has frequently been the target of opposition politicians for her spending on luxury handbags and jewellery, with questions raised as to the source of funds for these purchases.
She has in the past said she never holds money meant for Permata and that it is the organisation’s secretariat which plans and administers the funds for the programme. – August 12, 2017.