M'SIAN PM'S WIFE ROSMAH SHARES HER THOUGHTS ON BEING A FIRST LADY AT ISTANBUL FORUM

ISTANBUL, May 7 (Bernama) -- Becoming a first lady is not a privilege but a
responsibility towards various parties, said Malaysian prime minister's wife
Rosmah Mansor.

She said she was always mindful of her responsibilities towards the people,
the country and family, especially in supporting her husband Prime Minister
Najib Razak.

"There are no guidelines on being the first lady. But I take a leaf from
other first ladies -- things that they do, the responsibilities they carry out
towards the people," she told some 1,000 participants at the First Ladies Forum
held in conjunction with the Global Summit of Women 2011, here.

Alluding to the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers
(Bakti) which she currently chairs, Rosmah said she had learned a lot from the
association.

Besides Rosmah, other panelists included Namibia's First Lady Penehupifo
Pohamba, with International Herald Tribune (France) executive editor, Alison
Smale, acting as moderator.

Rosmah noted that the role of first ladies now was different from 20 years
ago, when their tasks, more often than not, involved accompanying their husbands
to official functions.

She said this had gradually changed, with many educated first ladies opting
to be on the frontline of their country's march towards development.

Rosmah noted that she had to remain active and prove her capabilities as a
leader who could support other women.

Rosmah, who is patron of the Permata Negara programme, shared her experience
spearheading early childhood education in Malaysia which has seen the setting up
of about 600 Permata centres across the country.

"Sometimes, when I accompany my husband during his visits to rural areas, I
would have my own programme which allows me to visit Permata centres in such
locations to monitor their progress," she explained.

Meanwhile, Pohamba said she shared Rosmah's views on being a first lady, and
noted that she strived to be a good example to women in her country.

The two first ladies also concurred that women had become more savvy in
positioning themselves in this era of globalisation which was still mainly
male-dominated.

Pohamba, who is the founder and patron of the Organisation for the
Empowerment of Widows/Widowers and Orphans of HIV and AIDS in Namibia (OEWONA),
said the idea to create the body started at the end of 2003.

The aim, she said, was to empower members with knowledge and skills that
would eventually allow them to generate income and stand on their own two feet.

"I was inspired when I saw a pregnant young lady without a husband. I
thought that somebody should help her," Pohamba said, adding that people were
not aware of HIV/AIDS at the early stage due to lack of information about the
disease.