PARLIAMENT, 9 Oct: Allegedly, Putrajaya has been deliberately concealing the details of public expenditure costs involving the Prime Minister and his wife from public knowledge, said the Member of Parliament for Seremban, Anthony Loke.
The statement refers to the mysterious vacation by Datuk Seri Najib Razak to Europe for two weeks using the VIP Airbus A319CJ aircraft after holding the MH17 media conference in Amsterdam on August 1.
However, he said that the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim only informed that the official aircraft was used on official business and costs involved in the flight are estimated to be appropriate and in line with the service provided.
“The question addressed by the Member of Parliament was not answered transparently.
“Is Putrajaya now practicing the policy of confidentiality in all issues that may give rise to negative perceptions and affect the image of the Prime Minister?” he said during a media conference at the Parliament lobby today.
He said that Najib’s official visit to the Netherlands which only lasted a day, on August 1, had no record of his tour schedule in the two weeks as reported by the Asia Sentinel website.
He also questioned whether Najib’s vacation was considered as official business and that the government aircraft can be used for holiday purposes.
He also questioned why Najib did not use Malaysia Airlines (MAS) on his trips overseas as a sign of support and confidence in the national carrier.
“The main question that needs to be answered by Datuk Seri Najib Razak is whether the taxpayers need to bear the expenses for his private vacation as well as his delegation?
“If it involved public funds, then the people have the right to know the details of the cost involved and it is fair to get questioned,” he added.
NS
