In short, this is a 2 centre page spread advertisement in New York Times by 'friends and family from US and Malaysia' (APCO??) to glorify Rosmah during their visit to US recently. Just wonder how much it cost?(taken from jelas.info blog by Nat Tan)
ps- is it just me, or is that photo of her like SUPER Photoshopped? :P :)
*Excellent* investigative reporting by Koh Lay Chin @ The Nutgraph! I reckon this is an excellent example of the media playing its most pivotal role, and I’ve reproduced most of the article below.
But do check it out. An ad agency (read:APCO probably :P) placed the ad on behalf of our government, and then made it sound like it was done by adoring fans of Rosmah (the very thought of such fans makes me geli!!).
To top it all off, who paid for this deception? You and me :P :P
I also love the part where the ad is to congratulate Rosmah on an award that no one knows or cares about.
I note with great interest how the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) was not mentioned in the ad. Their website also makes no list of their awards and awards recepients.
I strongly suspect this is because organisations like the BCIU make up awards from thin air, and give them to gulliable third world ‘leaders’ desperate for Western recognition – usually of course, *for a price*. Lelong lelong!!
According to some interesting Google results, no one else has ever received this prize, and there isn’t even a single mention of it on BCIU’s website.
Clearly, we are dealing with a meaningless “off the shelf” award, most likely bought and paid for through agents like APCO.
And for this, Malaysians probably forked out over RM 1 million (RM 10 million??) to glorify our ‘treacherous‘ “First Lady”. Contrary to the last line, I assure you that Malaysians are NOT proud of you, or of any of this :P
What a shameless attention ho!
Highlights from the article:
A recent two-page spread in the New York Times, costing thousands of US dollars and featuring the prime minister’s wife, was placed on behalf of the Malaysian government.
In an e-mail response to questions from The Nut Graph, the New York Timessaid: “The advertisement was placed by an ad agency on behalf of the Malaysian government.”
The response from New York Times executive director of community affairs and media relations, Diane McNulty, reveals that the ad was not placed by private individuals, as suggested by the last line in the ad’s congratulatory message.
However, research on previous full-page ads taken out in the New York Timessuggests that the cost of such advertisements ranges from US$180,000 toUS$230,000. This amounts to between RM580,000 and RM740,000 for a one-page ad.
A two-page colour spread such as the one featuring Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor is expected to cost far more.
“Friends and family”
The ad was placed on 16 April 2010, on the last day of Prime Minister Datuk SeriNajib Razak’s visit to the US, to congratulate Rosmah on her being conferred a little-known International Peace and Harmony Award.
The ad welcomed Rosmah as Malaysia’s “First Lady” to New York, and carried the message: “In recognition of your effort to promote peace, harmony and understanding among the people of Malaysia and your courageous acts in making a difference to the lives of people and children around the world. Malaysia is proud of you.”
It was signed off: “Best wishes from family and friends in USA and Malaysia.”
The ad did not name the Business Council for International Understanding, the outfit that gave Rosmah the award.
Against a backdrop of controversies surrounding the hiring of media relations firmApco Worldwide Sdn Bhd, and Rosmah’s alleged interference in government matters, the two-page ad has stirred up gossip and blog postings about who paid for it.
It has also been noted that while Rosmah was prominently featured in the ad in a respected and established newspaper, US media coverage of Najib’s visit and meeting with President Barack Obama was scant. (nat: the only way N/R can get ppl to care, is – as usual – to pay. Shameless!)
Malaysian Ambassador to the US Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis was pictured in Malaysian media showing US newspaper coverage in conjunction with Najib’s visit. But as the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang has pointed out, this appears to have been an advertorial in the Washington Times.
The New York Times’s McNulty would not reveal which ad agency placed the order for the ad on behalf of the Malaysian government in her paper. But if the Malaysian government has hired an ad agency, why is taxpayers’ money being used to promote Rosmah and an obscure award in the US, instead of the prime minister and the country?
ps- is it just me, or is that photo of her like SUPER Photoshopped? :P :)
*Excellent* investigative reporting by Koh Lay Chin @ The Nutgraph! I reckon this is an excellent example of the media playing its most pivotal role, and I’ve reproduced most of the article below.
But do check it out. An ad agency (read:APCO probably :P) placed the ad on behalf of our government, and then made it sound like it was done by adoring fans of Rosmah (the very thought of such fans makes me geli!!).
To top it all off, who paid for this deception? You and me :P :P
I also love the part where the ad is to congratulate Rosmah on an award that no one knows or cares about.
I note with great interest how the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) was not mentioned in the ad. Their website also makes no list of their awards and awards recepients.
I strongly suspect this is because organisations like the BCIU make up awards from thin air, and give them to gulliable third world ‘leaders’ desperate for Western recognition – usually of course, *for a price*. Lelong lelong!!
According to some interesting Google results, no one else has ever received this prize, and there isn’t even a single mention of it on BCIU’s website.
Clearly, we are dealing with a meaningless “off the shelf” award, most likely bought and paid for through agents like APCO.
And for this, Malaysians probably forked out over RM 1 million (RM 10 million??) to glorify our ‘treacherous‘ “First Lady”. Contrary to the last line, I assure you that Malaysians are NOT proud of you, or of any of this :P
What a shameless attention ho!
Highlights from the article:
A recent two-page spread in the New York Times, costing thousands of US dollars and featuring the prime minister’s wife, was placed on behalf of the Malaysian government.
In an e-mail response to questions from The Nut Graph, the New York Timessaid: “The advertisement was placed by an ad agency on behalf of the Malaysian government.”
The response from New York Times executive director of community affairs and media relations, Diane McNulty, reveals that the ad was not placed by private individuals, as suggested by the last line in the ad’s congratulatory message.
However, research on previous full-page ads taken out in the New York Timessuggests that the cost of such advertisements ranges from US$180,000 toUS$230,000. This amounts to between RM580,000 and RM740,000 for a one-page ad.
A two-page colour spread such as the one featuring Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor is expected to cost far more.
“Friends and family”
The ad was placed on 16 April 2010, on the last day of Prime Minister Datuk SeriNajib Razak’s visit to the US, to congratulate Rosmah on her being conferred a little-known International Peace and Harmony Award.
The ad welcomed Rosmah as Malaysia’s “First Lady” to New York, and carried the message: “In recognition of your effort to promote peace, harmony and understanding among the people of Malaysia and your courageous acts in making a difference to the lives of people and children around the world. Malaysia is proud of you.”
It was signed off: “Best wishes from family and friends in USA and Malaysia.”
The ad did not name the Business Council for International Understanding, the outfit that gave Rosmah the award.
Against a backdrop of controversies surrounding the hiring of media relations firmApco Worldwide Sdn Bhd, and Rosmah’s alleged interference in government matters, the two-page ad has stirred up gossip and blog postings about who paid for it.
It has also been noted that while Rosmah was prominently featured in the ad in a respected and established newspaper, US media coverage of Najib’s visit and meeting with President Barack Obama was scant. (nat: the only way N/R can get ppl to care, is – as usual – to pay. Shameless!)
Malaysian Ambassador to the US Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis was pictured in Malaysian media showing US newspaper coverage in conjunction with Najib’s visit. But as the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang has pointed out, this appears to have been an advertorial in the Washington Times.
The New York Times’s McNulty would not reveal which ad agency placed the order for the ad on behalf of the Malaysian government in her paper. But if the Malaysian government has hired an ad agency, why is taxpayers’ money being used to promote Rosmah and an obscure award in the US, instead of the prime minister and the country?
Please have an wider perspective and dont look at things at only one angle - typical pembangkang, btw, which is the reason why as well even if DAP wins the country by vote, it will also be the downfall of the country.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, the First Lady is not a person per say -its an institutioin. Advertising on behalf of the country's goodwill is being done by many other countries all over the world. I remember when Princess Diana was in her Africa tour, the British Council sponsored slaps of advertisement on the papers. why? wrong meh?
I dont support the government due to some of their policies - but pls, if you want to be a credible opposition, dont any damm shred of small matters also oppose. Consolidate your resources to challenge something substantial to make more tangible improvements.
O - sorry, thats not how the opposition works, just washing the government dirty linen in public make a mockery of the current institution and hope to win the election. When in power, we will see how these clowns perform.
So - alas - M;sia is a down fall! well at least better than some of our neighbours.