Rosmah meets Perkasa, denies buying Curtin award

Prime Minister's wife Rosmah Mansor yesterday denied that she paid a cent to Curtin University for the honorary doctorate awarded to her on Feb 12.

Turning the tables on her critics, she said that perhaps they got the idea because they do it themselves.

"Some say I had paid Curtin for the award. Tak kuasa saya (I can't be bothered).

"Maybe they often pay (for degrees), that's why they said I paid for the honorary doctorate.

"It's not an issue for me whether I have a PhD or not, but Curtin offered so I accepted," she said.

Officiating a charity dinner by Wiranita Perkasa in Setiawangsa, Rosmah thanked the NGO's president for extending her some words of encouragement in his speech.

She said she will continue to face all "slander, thorns and tribulations" for the sake of the rakyat.

"I have to listen to the rakyat's plight. The rakyat and my husband are important, so whatever happens, I cannot open my mouth.

"Don't believe what they say," said Rosmah who was fawned upon by the purple-clad Wiranita members.

'We all love you'

In his speech made earlier, Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali said that Rosmah was the target of opposition and "naughty" new media attacks because of her "greatness".

"We all love you," Ibrahim (right) said, joined by the audience of 700 who echoed the same.

He added that the claim that she owns a ring worth RM24 million is ludicrous as gold worth that much "would be the size of a watermelon" and impossible to wear.

Ibrahim also insisted that unlike public perception, Perkasa is not a racist organisation but one which promotes unity.

"We believe that national unity is rooted in Malay unity...It's not about denying the rights of others, but defending our own rights," he said to applause.

To prove it, he said, some of the donors for the night were Chinese-owned companies.

"I consider this matter to be solved tonight," he said.

This was echoed by Wiranita Perkasa chief Norkhaila Jamaluddin who said they are only defending what is in the Federal Constitution.

"We will continue to fight so that no race will undermine the sovereignty of the nation," she said.