Four Malaysian children, whose parents have been detained in Sweden, are being exploited by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the self-styled ‘First Lady of Malaysia’ (FLOM) Rosmah Mansor.

 

The rakyat is relieved that the children have returned to Malaysia to be cared for by their relatives. However, we are disappointed that the children were ‘kidnapped’, so Najib could pull a last publicity stunt and play Mother Teresa. In reality, Mother Teresa helped all children.

 

Is invading the privacy of the young children acceptable, as long as Najib is the invader and the act will gain votes for him?

 

The kids are tired after their long flight. They are anxious for their parents who were left behind. They have been hounded by the Malaysian paparazzi, but before they could return home, were forced to detour to Najib’s residence. Where is Najib’s compassion? As a mother, Rosmah should have known better and ticked her husband off.

 

The video clip of the homecoming at Najib’s house, which was posted on YouTube , is revealing.

 

The caption should have been, “How not to organise a video call” instead of “We are so happy to be back”.

 

The children, especially the three boys, looked shattered after their 17-hour flight. It is cruel to subject them to television cameras, photographers, and a grilling.

 

The children are under enormous strain. They are in Malaysia, but their parents are not. There is sadness at the separation. There is the uncertainty of their parents’ future.

 

The tragedy started when one of the children made an innocent remark to his schoolteacher, but did not realise the consequences. This boy is probably wracked with guilt. This feeling of guilt is stoked when he and his siblings enjoy the special treatment given by the prime minister. Must Najib keep reminding him?

 

One feels extremely sorry for the children. The look on the little boy’s face says it all - “I’m tired. Get me out of here!”

Boredom or concern?

 

Najib had his ‘public relations’ mask on display, but it was Rosmah’s facial expression and body language that had been the dead give-away.

 

Was that a tear she was wiping away (0:42 sec), just as the camera moved out of focus? Was she extremely bored, or showing utmost concern?

 

The six huddled close together on a sofa which seated four comfortably, then posed for the ‘Happy Family’ photo.

The FLOM could at least try and look a little more interested. The arched eyebrows gave the impression that she would rather be a million miles away (1:23 sec) and the eyelids looked heavy with sleep (1:29 sec).

Seeing the little boy’s face, squashed between Rosmah and Najib, one cannot decide who looks more jet lagged - the little boy, or Rosmah.

 

Anyone who has flown for several hours, even on first or business class, will know that at the end of the journey, nerves are frayed but one starts to ‘smell’.

 

Friends who work as cabin crew say that after a long flight, some passengers have foul breath, eye-watering body odour and feet which smell of “belacan”.

 

No one is saying that the children were ‘perfumed’, but why did Rosmah have to whip out her fan (0:55 sec) and furiously fan herself?

 

It drew attention to her and she almost swipes the little boy’s right ear with her vigorous fanning; but was she really trying to keep cool? Perhaps she was trying to expunge the smell of the rakyat.

 

The fanning reminds us of the Singaporean banker who said on Facebook that after taking the Singaporean MRT, he had to go home and shower to wash off the smell of poverty.

 

Those of you who had doubts about Rosmah’s lack of influence with the Swedish royal family, need not have worried.

 

She said, “I had thought of going to Sweden to seek an audience with the Swedish king and queen to seek their assistance, but Hamzah Zainuddin, the deputy foreign minister, had succeeded to bring them back [sic] .”

 

There you have it! Rosmah was trying to give Hamzah ( right ) a chance to prove himself. Treasury officials probably sighed with relief at saving the country a small fortune.

 

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman must feel thoroughly dejected when excluded from the final credits, yet again. One sympathises with the Malaysian Embassy officials. Their good work goes unnoticed while Najib basks in the glory.

Remaining puzzles

 

Najib told reporters that he was concerned about the children’s welfare, so he sent Hamzah to secure the children’s release.

 

Some puzzles remain. The parents were arrested on Dec 18 but the story only reached Malaysia a month later, on Jan 18. Was there a news blackout? Why the delay?

 

Was the children’s plight publicised only after the eldest child starting posting their unhappiness on Facebook ?

 

Najib said, “We are doing this because we are concerned about their welfare...”

 

His concern seemed to materialise only after the anger of the Malaysian public was aroused. So, when did Najib first register concern? Last December? Or was it after a Facebook account to save the children went viral?

 

Umno Baru Youth - desperate for political points - flew to Sweden. Embassy staff should be allowed to do the work they have been paid to do without political interference.

 

Najib, FLOM and Umno Baru Youth should assist all children. Recently, two pupils in Tapah were traumatised when their teacher reportedly attached bells to the buttons of their school uniforms and likened them to cows, for not completing their homework. These children also deserve understanding.

The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry offered counselling to the children from Sweden. Was the same offer extended to the Penan girls who were raped in 2008?

Najib should show compassion to all children, not just those residing in foreign lands.

 

Najib said that the effort to bring the children home “was carried out without media publicity”. The merciless brute then paraded the children in the full glare of publicity, patted himself on the back, then spat them out after satisfying his needs.

 

Making children into political footballs is dangerous as the publicity stunt will backfire.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO).