More than RM1 mil a month for VVIP plane

The government spends more than RM1 million every month on a rented aircraft for ferrying VVIPs.

KUALA LUMPUR: In the first eight months of the year, the government has spent more than RM9.1 million in flight costs on a single aircraft to ferry official VVIPs.

In a written response, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said that the government had been renting an Airbus A319 from Malaysian Airlines System (MAS) Berhad since Aug 3, 2007.

The airplane, he added was for the use of “government VVIPs” such as Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

“From January to August 2011, the frequency of use of this plane covered 155 sectors in the country and abroad with costs totalling RM9,158,430.45, which cover the plane’s fuel costs, parking and handling charges, meals and flight crew logistics,” he said.

Nazri was responding to Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, who asked the PM’s Department, which rented the aircraft, to state the costs incurred.

It is not known if these flight costs included Najib’s travel expenses for this year, which were also revealed in Parliament.

FMT previously reported that Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor spent slightly more than RM17 million from 2008 to June this year.

Up to RM5.42 million was spent for Najib’s travels from January to June this year.

Najib’s travel costs also cropped up in an article published in Utusan Malaysia last week, which alleged that “moles” in certain strategic government departments were feeding the opposition with such confidential details.

These “moles” were said to be Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s loyalists, who were plotting to undermine Najib’s leadership.