RM4bil spent on PM's department, including office for Pak Lah

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

In another revelation that underscores the government's lavish spending pattern, officials have confirmed that RM4 billion was set aside to finance operations in the Prime Minister’s department for this year.

Minister in the PM’s Department Nazri Aziz said in a written reply to Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming that the high operational costs were due to the creation of new agencies within the department, including an office for former premier Abdullah Badawi.

A breakdown was not given, but Nazri also said the number of staff in the PM’s Department has more than doubled – from 21,045 in 2003 to 43,544 in 2010.

“It is mind boggling – RM4 billion is five times the amount we need to finance the entire Perak state government,” Nga told Malaysia Chronicle.

“When you consider that Malaysia has been running a fiscal deficit for the past 15 years, this is sheer irresponsibility. They are literally running the country to the ground."

When PMs go on spending binges

Indeed, a core concern of Abdullah’s when negotiating the hand-over of power to Najib in April 2009 had been where to go after he leaves Putrajaya?

Abdullah’s predecessor Mahathir Mohamad already holds the cushiest office – in the penthouse at Pentronas Twin Towers as adviser to the national oil firm. What about Abdullah?

According to pundits, it is not just about Abdullah and his personal secretary, but a whole barrage of staff – qualified, deserving or neither. A former Tourism Minister was once accused of wanting to put thousands of her own people onto the ministry’s payrolls, they pointed out.

Is this what Abdullah did as well? Did he contribute to the massive jump in staff count at the PM’s office? Above all, how could Najib allow it? Where are the checks and balances for public spending? Should not the PM's powers be curbed?

Already, another minister in his department, Idris Jala, has warned Malaysia could go bankrupt in 9 years. Given the latest string of excesses, including Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s role in a failed RM240 million fisheries bond, Malaysians are no longer rejecting the Idris forecast, although initially they were stunned.

“The immediate implication is that when Najib steps down, will Malaysian taxpayers have to bear his so-called retirement package? What sort of allocation will be made then,” Nga said.

"The wider and longer term implication is that, who will watch out for the taxpayers? If their Prime Ministers go on spending binges, who is there to stop them? Where are the checks and balance?"