SHAH ALAM, April 1 — The Barisan Nasional (BN)-led government has never marginalised women’s group in the nation’s development plan but had always provided the opportunity for them to move in tandem with the country’s growth, according to Prime Minister’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
She also said women of Indian ethnicity were not spared from receiving perks and benefits from various government initiatives, particularly through the Socioeconomic Development of Indian Community Unit (SEDIC) and microcredit facility Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia.
“Under the SEDIC, a sum of RM203 million has been allocated for the use of 500,000 people of the Indian community where 16 per cent of the allocation is for programmes related to women and single mothers.
“Various courses such as sewing, cooking, agriculture and make-up have been implemented tailored for the women and single mothers, where most of them have generated their own income.
“In addition, Amanah Iktiar Malaysia has assisted more than 10,000 Indian women through various business loan financing amounting to RM140 million,” she said in her speech when opening the National Women’s Day of Pertubuhan Gerak Sakti 1Malaysia which was attended by approximately 3,000 Indian women here today.
Present at the event were Pertubuhan Gerak Sakti 1Malaysia chairman Datuk R.S.Thanenthiran and his wife, Datin Seri Vaney Thanenthiran, who is also the women’s wing chairman of the organisation.
Rosmah also reminded Indian women who want to venture into business to set the niche market in order for them to win the hearts of customers.
Meanwhile, she advised women who attended the event to always do things that would make their husbands happy as that was one of the keys to happiness in marriage.
“In my case, I make my husband happy and he is a happy man… As such, he can discharge his duties well to all of you out there and to Malaysia,” she said to the applause from the crowd.
Rosmah also said that she received all the criticisms and allegations hurled at her with an open heart and smile, since they were part and parcel of politics.
“In politics, we just have to go through it and smile, and that is the best medicine for them... When we smile (at them), they will get annoyed. (However,) if we get angry, they would love that,” she said.
Rosmah also praised the initiatives of Pertubuhan Gerak Sakti 1Malaysia, which was founded in November 2015, in improving the livelihood of the Indian community by recruiting 6,000 teenagers to undergo intensive training in the field of interest and providing them with job opportunities. At the ceremony, three women received awards from Rosmah for their achievements in respective areas, namely the founder of The Centre of Applied Data Science, Sharala Axryd; activist Guramah Appanah; and a single mother, Janagi Narayanan, who operates a coffee shop in Trolak, Perak. They each received RM5,000 in cash, a trophy and a certificate. — Bernama
