RM3mil spent on PM's short trips abroad

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s short working trips to cosmopolitan cities - London, New York and Washington - have cost the government almost RM3 million.

According to a written reply to queries by Seputeh DAP MP Teresa Kok, Najib had spent RM849,175.33 for his stay in London from May 13 to 15 to attend a “reception” hosted by Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.

This was followed by the prime minister’s meeting at the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council in New York from May 16 to 18, which had cost a whopping RM1,606,402.75.

Najib then, with his officers, went off to Washington on a six-day “private visit” from May 19 to 24 which cost RM452,985.75.

“Why must the prime minister make such an expensive trip to London and New York, spending RM2.5 million just to attend two events? Is that not a waste of the taxpayers’ money and waste of the prime minister’s time for these unimportant events?” asked Kok (left).

At a press conference in Parliament, she also pointed out that there is a glitch in the reply by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz on the breakdown of expenses in Washington.

The reply stated that it was the officers who accompanied Najib during his six-day trip to Washington who had spent the RMRM452,985.75.

“I have obtained aeronautical evidence via flight plans, which shows that the prime minister’s official aircraft (9M-NAA) travelled from Washington to Milan, Italy on May 20 - 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,” said Kok.

Accusing Mohd Nazri of misleading Parliament in the reply, as he had stated that the entourage had stayed on in Washington, she demanded that Najib should  declare “who travelled with him to Milan”.

She urged Najib to reveal whether he had paid for the the private trip to Milan personally or whether it was sourced from public coffers.

Kok added that the official 9M-NAA aircraft was only for official use for the Agong and the prime minister, and Najib should justify why the aircraft was used for a private holiday.