More than RM9 million was spent to rent the Airbus A319-IIX that was used to fly Prime Minister Najib Razak and his family to their vacation in Perth, Australia during Merdeka or Independence Day on August 31, 2011.
According to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Aziz, the government has been renting the plane from Syarikat Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad since 3 August 2007.
Nazri did not give any breakdown but the expenditure of RM9.1 million was spent during the period January 2011 until August 2011. It includes cost for fuel, location and operational charges, meals and aircraft crew and logistics fees. Fequency of flights covered 155 sectors in and out of the country, Nazri added.
He had furnished a written reply to PKR MP for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah, who had asked for information on the owner of the aircraft, the fuel costs and flight frequencies.
Nazri also said the plane was also used by other important leaders including the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Deputy Prime Minister.
Pakatan Rakyat leaders had wanted a breakdown of the flights and the costs entailed and expressed disappointment with the written reply, accusing Nazri of trying to avoid cross-quationing in the House.
Deception
Najib and wife Rosmah Mansor had shocked the nation by quietly sneaking out of the country on Independence Day. They were accused of using public money for their private pleasure and convenience.
Due to public outcry after the news had leaked, Najid's advisers tried to insist that the trip was for official purposes and Najib had gone to attend a dinner for students in Perth. But Najib and family flew out on Wednesday, while the dinner took place on Saturday night.
To make matters worse, national news agency Bernama reported the students as praising Najib to the skies. Compliments like "awesome" were used to describe his speech to them. But the overkill annoyed the students and many of posted the true situation on Facebook, again exposing the lies that surround the first couple.
"They totally changed and added stuff that we never said. And the whole thing was done before the speech and not after. I feel it is rather silly and unnecessary," Malaysiakini reported the student as saying.
"They put in quotes that we actually did not say and altered our words. We did not say anything bad so I don't see why they needed to do that.”
And more deception!
This is not the first time the Najibs have been caught with their fingers in the pie, so to speak. In June, they went to Kazakhstan, ostensibly on an official visit that appeared specially timed to 'coincide' with their daughter's engagement to a wealthy Kazakh scion. They were accused of including private guests in their extra-large entourage.
"Imagine the costs, all these are going on First Class and on public money. It is a shame to say the lest," PAS MP for Kuala Selangor Dzulkefly Ahmad told Malaysia Chronicle.
When asked for comments, Pakatan Rakyat leaders could only shake their heads and laugh. They pointed Najib's recent international embarrasssment after he was caught paying RM58 million of Malaysian taxpayers' money to UK consultant FBC Media to churn falsely positive news about himself, his administration and his projects to global audiences.
UK regulators are now finalising a probe against FBC Media and may launch a full-scale public inquiry against FBC, which had sold its 'artificial' news to unsuspecting networks such as CNN, CNBC and even BBC.
Najib and FBC have been accused of deceiving global audiences, and Malaysian opposition leaders have promised to grill him in Parliament over the exact amount squandered on the false publicity.
"This is obviously a regime in the death throes. When you hear words like 'awesome' and attributed to Najib, you really tend to take the report with a pinch of salt," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.
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