HASMAH PRAYS MUKHRIZ WILL DO HIS BEST

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 (Bernama) -- Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali said she
prayed that her son Mukhriz Mahathir, who has been appointed International
Trade and Industry Deputy Minister, would work hard and carry out his
responsibilities to the best of his ability.

She regards the appointment as suitable, considering that Mukhriz had been
Umno Youth's International and NGO Relations Bureau chairman.

While expressing happiness over Mukhriz's appointment, Dr Siti Hasmah hoped
that her son would do "what is best for the country in line with the nation's
aspirations".

"Syukur Alhamdulillah (Praise to God). I'm happy for him and I thank God
that he's been given the chance to proof himself in serving the religion, people
and nation," she told reporters, here, Thursday.

Dr Siti Hasmah said she and her husband (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) did not
expect their son to be made a deputy minister as he was still young, while
Mukhriz himself did not expect this and went holidaying with his family in
Japan.

"He just SMSed me to say that he had arrived at Tokyo Disneyland because the
children wanted to listen to Donald Duck speaking Japanese and now he has to
come back, I guess," she said.


Asked when Mukhriz and his family would return, Dr Siti Hasmah said:
"Wallahu Aqlam (only God knows). But looks like he has to get a flight back
home.

"Whatever it is, as a mother, I am grateful and pray that he will fulfil the
people's hopes, the ministry's hopes and the new prime minister's," she said.

Mukhriz, 44, had studied at the Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) in Kota
Baharu before obtaining a Bachelor's degree in business administration from
Sofea University, Tokyo, in 1982.

He also has a degree in international marketing from Boston University, USA.

He began his career with the Bank of Tokyo after completing his studies in
1983, and then became the chairman and managing director of Opcom Holdings Bhd,
a telecommunications company which he established in November 1994.

His political career began in 2004 when he became a member of the Kubang
Pasu Umno branch. His father had also been the member of parliament for Kubang
Pasu.

In September 2004, Mukhriz was elected an Umno Youth executive committee
member after garnering the most number of votes at 649, after which he was
appointed the movement's International and NGO Relations Bureau chairman.

He has also been active as the coordinator for Aman Malaysia, taking part in
several humanitarian missions to provide aid to the tsunami victims in Acheh in
2004, the Kashmir earthquake victims in Pakistan (2005), Jogjakarta earthquake
victims (2006), and the victims of Israel's invasion of Lebanon (2006) and
Israel's aggression on Gaza, Palestine (2008).

In the last general election on March 8, 2008, Mukhriz defeated Idris Ahmad
from PAS with a 2,205-vote majority, making him the MP for Jerlun, Kedah.

-- BERNAMA