| Spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia |
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|---|---|
| Style | Yang Amat Berbahagia |
| Residence | Seri Perdana |
| Inaugural holder | Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah |
| Formation | 31 August 1957 |
| Website | PM's wife website |
Spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia refers to the spouse of the head of government of Malaysia, the Prime Minister. Since independence in 1957, the title has been occupied by women, therefore the spouse is also known as the Prime Minister's wife. The term "First Lady" has also been used to refer to the Prime Minister's spouse, mirroring American usage, however this is controversial due to Malaysia being a constitutional monarchy.[1][2]
The spouse of the current Prime Minister of Malaysia (Najib Tun Razak) is Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor.
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The spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia is not an elected position, carries no official duties, and brings no salary. However, she does receive some allowance as recognition of her time and energy put into being the spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
As the spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, she attends many official ceremonies and functions of state either along with or representing the Prime Minister. There is a strict taboo against the spouse holding outside employment while serving as spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Following the Asian value system, where the woman is the guiding light and pillar of the household, the spouse also represents family values and is taken as a motherly.
The spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia frequently participates in humanitarian and charitable work. It became increasingly common for spouses of heads of state or government to select specific causes to promote, usually ones that are not politically divisive. It is common for the spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia to form organisations and hire a staff to support these activities.
Rosmah Mansor is the wife of current Prime Minister of Malaysia- Najib Razak. She is known for her charitable efforts in advancing child education and development through a nurturing program known as Permata. The First Ladies Summit hosted by her had similar ideals with her aspirations to advance childcare development.
Rosmah Mansor is also active in various national organizations. She is currently the Acting President of BAKTI, the Welfare Association of Minister’s Wives, the President of the Netball Association of Wilayah Persekutuan, as well as the Patron of other organizations like the Children in Hope Foundation, Puspanita Ministry of Defence, Heart to Heart Association of Malaysia, the Persatuan Warga Cinta Negara Malaysia and the Thalesemia Association of Malaysia; and member of the Board of Trustees, Malaysian Humanitarian Foundation.[3]
| # | The Spouse | From | To | Prime Minister |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah | 1957 | 1970 | Tunku Abdul Rahman |
| 2. | Tun Rahah Noah | 1970 | 1976 | Tun Abdul Razak |
| 3. | Toh Puan Suhaila Noah | 1976 | 1981 | Tun Hussein Onn |
| 4. | Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali | 1981 | 2003 | Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad |
| 5. | Tun Endon Mahmood Ambak | 2003 | 2005 | Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi |
| 6. | Tun Jeanne Abdullah | 2007 | 2009 | Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi |
| 7. | Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor | 2009 | Incumbent | Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak |
Although Malaysia is not an absolute monarchy, the monarchy are theoretically deemed constitutional figureheads within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. However, it is argued that Article 32(2) of the Constitution of Malaysia stipulates that the Consort of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong takes precedence over all individuals in the federation and is second only to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong himself. Hence, it is argued that the Raja Permaisuri Agong is rightfully the First Lady of Malaysia.
The assumed "First Lady" title is challenged by certain quarters on the premise that Malaysia is not a Republic. Hence, the technical legality of such a status is challenged.
During Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's premiership, there has not been a precedent in Malaysia where someone other than the wife of the Prime Minister served as First Lady. While the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's first late wife, Tun Endon Mahmood Ambak underwent treatment for breast cancer in the United States, the title of "First Lady" was not officially designated.
The issue was brought up only during the premiership of Najib Tun Razak when his wife widely used the title of "First Lady". Many quarters either argue that it is reserved for the Raja Permaisuri Agong, or that it should never be used at all due to Malaysia not being a republic.
The issue didn't stop there as there was a mysterious new unit established within the Prime Minister's Department with the acronym F.L.O.M (First Lady of Malaysia) Unit. Datuk Siti Azizah binti Sheikh Abod was the Special Officer for the unit. The news on FLOM was widely covered by many bloggers with their own stories and analysis. This led to the government webpage containing the information of the contacts in FLOM department to be removed a few days after the story came out. However some search engines managed to store the cached versionof the.[4] Many groups questioned the validity and functionality of the department. There were also some queries, especially in the Malaysian Parliament, on how much allocation from the National Budget was allocated for the department.
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