Press statement by Teresa Kok, MP for Seputeh on 14 June 2012 at Kuala Lumpur
The Parliamentary reply by Minister in the PM’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz, with regard to the expenses of PM Najib Tun Razak’s trip to Europe and US from 13.5.2012 to 25.5.2012, is incomplete and dubious to say the least.
In the reply, Nazri said that the PM was in London from 13-5-2012 to 15-5-2012. From there, Najib is said to have gone to New York from 16-5-2012 to 18-5-2012 and thereafter he went on a private visit to Washington from 19-5-2012 to 24-5-2012.
My first question is why was it such an expensive trip to London and New York involving almost RM2.5 million just to attend two events, as per Nazri’s reply, which are “Working visit to attend reception hosted by Prince Charles” in London and “Working visit to attend meeting of Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council” in New York? Is not that a waste of the taxpayers’ money and waste of Prime Minister’s time for these unimportant events?
Did PM’s entourage have private visit to Washington or Milan?
Nazri has further claimed that the government only spent RM452,985.74 for the PM’s officers to accompany his private visit to Washington. Please find the details as follow:
1. London Working visit to attend reception hosted by Prince Charles, 13-15 May 2012, RM 849,175.33
2. New York Working visit to attend meeting of Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council, 16-18 May 2012, RM 1,606,402.75
3. Washington Officers accompanied private visit of Prime Minister, 19-24 May 2012, RM 452,985.75
TOTAL 2,908,563.82
Click for Breakdown of expenses in Parliamentary Reply
However, I have come to obtain some aeronautical evidence via flight plans on www.flightradar24.com/2012-05-20/03:22/NAA, which shows that the official PM’s aircraft (9M-NAA) travelled from Washington to Milan, Italy, on 20 May 2012 – just a day after arriving in Washington. The entourage remained in Milan for four days. The flight plan also shows the plane had stopped over in Dubai and then returned to Kuala Lumpur.
My next question is – why did Nazri lead the Parliament to believe, in the Parliamentary reply, that the contingent had stayed in Washington for almost five days? Further, I would like for the PM to openly declare to the public information on who travelled with him to Milan and were the expenses paid for by the PM personally or from the taxpayers’ coffers?
Here I would want to call on the PM’s office to specify in detail the breakdown of the RM452,985.75 in Washington/ Milan/ Dubai and as well tell us why was it necessary to conceal this information of the Milan trip in the Parliamentary reply.
If this is the case that the entire PM’s staff travelled to both Milan and Dubai on route to KL, then does spending almost half a million ringgit on taxpayers’ money for his staff to holiday and shop in these places justifiable – especially if all the expenses involved public funds.
Finally, to my understanding, the role of 9M-NAA, being an official aircraft, is to carry Malaysia’s PM and the King for official visits, and not meant for personal travel. Therefore, can the PM justify using the nation’s official aircraft for his family and staff holiday?
For the detailed flight plans and info please refer to the chart and links below;
http://www.flightradar24.com/2012-05-24/20:38/NR1;
www.flightradar24.com/2012-05-20/03:22/NAA.
– Teresa Kok
Teresa, you forgot to mention that it is one of his last trips as P.M. of Malaysia. He might as well go out in style while he can !
All these lackeys are seen to give Najib the support and seen to be proactive just so they will be offered by their political master to stand as candidates in the Kampong to be reelected and then get to enjoy the benefits and privileges of a M.P. for another term. Otherwise they will be jobless !
the fact that ah jib kor postponing the election date every more times, provide that he is gonna suck the coutnry dry. The RM1.3 billion additional supplementary supply bill or whatever the hell it is, barely 6 months after a “carefully prepared ” annual budget by a 50++ years old administration, points to only 1 thing, that Pakatan is gonna bankrupt the country – because it looks like BN gonna saddle its successor with committed and contingent liabilities so huge that it could solve an Africa nations’ famine problem with changes to spare.
kick out the money wasters
Hi Teresa, thanks and please keep up the good job of pressing the BN for an answer. I am afraid that they will try to evade and then be let off scot free after everybody forgets.
I refer to your article “Parliament’s Reply On Najib’s To Europe and U.S. is Dubious”
We were in the U.S., more precisely New York, when Najib and entourage were in the vicinity. So happened we made a trip to the Woodbury Premium Outlet Mall in New York upstate, which is an hour’s drive from New York City and the name of the shop we entered is Michael Kors.
On entering the shop we were greeted by the sales lady who asked us which country we were from. We replied Malaysia. The sales lady then remarked that “The Queen of Malaysia was here a couple of day ago. We laid out the red carpet for her “.
From what I know in that period of time Her Majesty The Raja Permaisuri Agong was in the U.K. attending Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee banquet for the world’s monarch. So who could this “queen” be? Your guess is as good as mine. To roll out the red carpet? One (Malaysian Embassy staff?) had to make prior arrangement. Were they told the Queen of Malaysia be coming?
Hi YB,
This question to DSNazri is verbal reply or written reply? What was their answer for trip to Milan?
Regards
Mahendrarajah
The trip to MIL is very obvious. The 1 Malaysia aircraft was carrying USD1 billion plundered from the rakyat from the one for you / one for me two calculation method.
Jibby was there to deposit his loot in MIL.
Can anyone tell me does Jibby goes thru the normal physical security check ?
The DXB stopover is not just a refueling stop. It is also a banking call .