Shoe-strapping issue: Stop ridiculing Rosmah, urges Perlis Mufti

Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin advised Malaysians to think well of the wife of the Prime Minister, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor following a viral video in which an assistant had to help her strap on her shoes.

"For me, if a big and elderly person needs an assistance - especially when there are no seats around - then it is not strange," wrote Dr Mohd Asri on his Facebook page.

Dr Mohd Asri also feels the ridicule and negative words used against the Prime Minister's wife as unfair and rude.

He urge for the harped to be stopped as the lack of sympathy can be considered as rude.

"What is important is the officer was willing to help. Give her sympathy. Let us not say 'spoilt child', or 'if unable to wear shoes, do not wear it' or anything like that.

"That's not fair and there’s no sympathy. It may also be rude," he added.

The same advice was given to the government to extend sympathy to the people who is pressured by the rising cost of living.

"This is the people’s situation. If the people cannot afford their daily expenditure, the government should extend their sympathy.

“With the increase of goods prices, GST, the losses of this and that will cause the people to be depressed and they needed to be rescued. Do not say the people are “spoilt” or “if expensive then do not buy” or “if want to save up, do not balik kampung” or any “sarcastic remark for the people”.

“If we sympathize with others, others will sympathise with us,” he said.

Recently, a short video clip showed a police officer putting on a pair of shoes for Rosmah at a break of fast ceremony with the PM, Datuk Seri Najib Razak at mammoth publishing agency, Karangkraf headquarters in Shah Alam, recently.

The 31-second clip received criticisms but the officer in the video came forward to say that the Prime Minister’s wife needed assistance as she was feeling under the weather.