Rosmah asks Malaysians abroad to be colour-blind

Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the prime minister, has called on Malaysians abroad to maintain the good image and reputation of the country.

She said as little ambassadors of the country, they should know how to carry themselves and forge friendship with other nationalities.

“Just continue to make new friends from other countries and learn their customs, cultures and way of life as well as their cuisines,” she said at the luncheon with the members of the Malaysian Foreign Ministry Women’s Association at the Malaysian Permanent Representative Office to the United Nations here yesterday.

The foreign minister’s wife Datin Seri Siti Robiah Abdul Samad, the Malaysian ambassador to the United States’ wife Datin Seri Kalson Ismail, the Malaysian Permanent Representative to the UN’s wife Datin Amy Hamidon and the Malaysian consulate-general in New York’s wife Arfah Nadiah Ahmad were present.

Rosmah said Malaysians should also maintain cordial relations among them by not associating their ethnicity and racial background in efforts to help realise the 1 Malaysia concept.

She also urged Malaysians to take the opportunity to promote the country to the local communities by sharing stories on the country’s food and cuisines.

Rosmah also urged diplomats and their spouses to strive for self-improvement, including enhancing their working knowledge of English and learning French.

Earlier, Amy spoke of the activities organised by the association to promote Malaysia including holding food festivals.

Rosmah is accompanying Najib, who arrived here last Thursday to lead the Malaysian delegation to the UN General Assembly.


comments

In reality, when Malaysians are abroad, we couldn't care less about our ethnicity because the countries most of us are in don't pay any attention to what ethnicity we belong to. It is only back in Malaysia that UMNO keeps harping on ethnic differences when in fact all of us consider ourselves Malaysians with a shared destiny in the world. It is UMNO that keeps playing on race and religion to divide the peoples, to cause uncertainty among the peoples in order to retain power. Rosmah, Rosmah, I couldn't care less whether you are Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazandusun, Dayak or whatever.

But I care when people go missing or resurface in fragments, I care when your husband and his UMNO cronies display their racist colours and wave their keris, I care when UMNO abuses power and pilfers from the national treasury even if through legal (but morally corrupt) means which denies money for the education of our children, I care when our children are denied the education they deserve just because UMNO prefers shortcuts than to work hard at giving our children the best education we can afford, I care when there is injustice done to our children!