I’ll call her ‘Datin Seri’ from now on, says Nurul Izzah

PM's wife had accused her of being rude in calling her by name: 'at least call me aunty Rosmah or makcik Rosmah'

Nurul Izzah Anwar says she had inadvertently referred to Rosmah by name.

PETALING JAYA: Nurul Izzah Anwar has explained that she meant no disrespect when referring to the prime minister’s wife, Rosmah Mansor by name, and said it had come about inadvertently.

Nurul Izzah said there was no malice intended in the way she addressed Rosmah. “Honestly, if I had inadvertently called her just by her name, I apologise. I have always done my best to address her by Datin Seri,” she was quoted as saying.

She told FMT today: “I have already apologised. I will also try to address her with her full ‘Datin Seri’ title from now on.

Rosmah had brought up the matter yesterday, when speaking at a Wanita Barisan Nasional event at the Lembah Pantai community centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Nurul Izzah has been Lembah Pantai MP for two terms.

Rosmah was reported to have said she had been disappointed by Nurul Izzah’s “rudeness”.

“I am not asking her to kiss my hands. I don’t even expect her to call me ‘Datin Seri’ but don’t just call me ‘Rosmah Mansor’, because I am much older than her.”

Rosmah said she had been familiar with the children of Anwar Ibrahim since Nurul Izzah was six or seven years old. “She should at least call me ‘aunty Rosmah’ or ‘makcik Rosmah’,” the prime minister’s wife said.

Rosmah also said she had felt hurt by the lies and criticisms made against her by politicians and their supporters, especially on social media.

Nurul Izzah responded by saying that any criticisms she herself made were based on principle, and not on personalities. “Hence, the consistent reminder for us all to focus on systemic reforms, to ensure no other dictators manage to abuse the office of the prime minister,” she was quoted as saying. -FMT