Harakahdaily
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3: Has the prime minister lost his trust in his deputy and other members of the cabinet by delegating official duties to his wife?
This is the question on the lips of PAS treasurer Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli (right), who said that by allowing his wife Rosmah Mansor to officiate at several functions during his absence, Najib Razak has not only violated protocol but shown his true colour with regards to his own ministers.
Dr Hatta said protocol demanded that in the absence of the prime minister at an official ceremony, his deputy would take over his role, failing which, the relevant minister would be asked to officiate such events.
"If the minister could not make it, then the deputy minister. And if even the deputy minister is not available, his or her replacement would be the chief secretary or director general," said Hatta.
He was responding to news reports showing Rosmah officiating the Deepavali carnival in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur recently, replacing Najib who is said to be resting after he was diagnosed with chicken pox.
Rosmah also read out the text of the prime minister's speech, promising assistance for the Indian community.
"What transpired there clearly shows something out of the ordinary," said Hatta, and cited Rais Yatim as one of the ministers connected to the event who could stand in for Najib.
Acting PM?
Earlier, prominent rights lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar in a Twitter posting questioned whether Rosmah had assumed the role of an "acting prime minister".
"Am confused. If PM unwell, shouldn't DPM be representing him/government, and not Rosmah? Or is she acting PM?" he asked.
Last month, Rosmah courted controversy when she hosted a 'First Ladies' summit in Kuala Lumpur. The three day summit, attended by fifteen first ladies mostly from African nations, was themed "A Child Today, a Leader Tomorrow".
Constitutional law expert Dr Abdul Aziz Bari had then criticised the Prime Minister's Department in charge of protocol for approving Rosmah to spearhead the summit, saying the Constitution clearly named the Raja Permaisuri Agong as the country's First Lady
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