Private sector didn’t cover PM’s trips, says Fahmi

Private sector didn’t cover PM’s trips, says Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA: Unity government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil has sought to clarify Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s statement that the private sector partly covered the costs of his recent working visits to five countries.

Fahmi said the government’s delegation shared a chartered flight with the private sector representatives during the trips, as this was more cost-effective than if the government’s delegation had flown on Putrajaya’s Jet Premier One on their own.

He said Putrajaya only covered the costs of its delegation while the companies paid for their representatives who joined the trips, adding that the latter made up about 73% of the total costs.

“What’s important is that the government paid for the prime minister’s flights (and expenses). The prime minister’s (expenses) were not funded by any company but by the government,” he said at a press conference here today.

The communications minister said the government also covered its delegation’s accommodation, food and beverage, as well as transportation.

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He said if the government delegation flew on their own on Jet Premier One, which can only accommodate 20 passengers, this would have cost RM2.5 million.

On the other hand, the chartered Malaysia Airlines plane cost a total of RM6.16 million, of which 73% involved the private sector delegation’s costs.

“So for the government’s delegation, it cost RM1.62 million (for the flights),” he said. “That means we have saved more than RM900,000.”

Yesterday, Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat that several companies had covered the cost of his working visits to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Brazil and Qatar, which also included representatives from the firms in question.

The prime minister said the likes of Petronas, Sapura Energy, Yinson, and Proton had borne 70% to 80% of the cost.

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Opposition party Muda later questioned how these firms were selected and whether there were any tangible benefits for these companies. .

Bersatu Youth also called for Anwar to be investigated, citing legal provisions which punish civil servants who “obtain any valuable thing, without consideration, from a person concerned in any proceeding or business transacted” by said civil servant.

Bersatu Youth chief Hilman Idham said the prime minister could also be investigated under Section 16 of the MACC Act for the offence of accepting gratification.