Rosmah Wants You To Know That Government Funds Don't Go Into Her Handbag
Rosmah said this during her acceptance speech for the Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Early Childhood Education today, 2 December.
By Nandini Balakrishnan — 02 Dec 2016, 04:12 PM
Refuting rumours about misusing government funds, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor stressed that all funds allocated for the Permata Foundation goes through the right channels.
Rosmah is the patron of the PERMATA programme which was started back in 2007.
PERMATA aims to provide a unified platform for children and teenagers from all walks of life to develop their true potential and skills.
"I would like to stress that whatever budget we receive from the government does not go into my handbag," added Rosmah.
Rosmah said this when accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Early Childhood Education in Kuala Lumpur today, 2 December.
She also spoke about how the Permata programme is "close to her heart."
The wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak also explained how the organisation has to go through a set of procedures every time they request and receive funds.
"I wouldn't know the procedures, you have to ask (Permata programme working committee chairman Siti) Azizah (Sheikh Abod) about it.
"She is the one who requests the money, (decides on) how it is to be spent and how it is to be disbursed. She doesn't even report to me.
"That is what I want all you to be aware of. The money does not go into my handbag," added Rosmah.
When tabling Budget 2017 on 21 October, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak allocated RM85 million for the PERMATA early education programme for gifted children which involves about 50,000 children
However, sometime earlier this year, the organisation's sources of funding came into question which came in the way of Rosmah receiving the prestigious 'Lead by Example' award that was supposed to be presented by the Antiquities Coalition.
The coalition removed her from the list of honourees as they weren't able to verify PERMATA sources of funding in the short period of time they had.
The Antiquities Coalition is an NGO that aims to stop cultural racketeering, which is basically the looting and illegal trade of antiquities by organized criminals and terrorist organisations.
Rosmah also took the opportunity to talk about how much the PERMATA programme means to her, saying that she can go the whole evening speaking about the organisation
"I have much to tell about Permata. Sometimes my husband would say 'Can you please close your mouth and eyes, so we can have a little rest'," said Rosmah, courting the amusement of the crowd, as reported by Malaysiakini today, 30 November.