Anwar: No strings attached to use of private jet

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has claimed that the person who allowed a Pakatan Rakyat team to use his private jet did so without expecting anything in return.

Speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby today, he said the "friend", whose identity he would not disclose, had allowed him the use of the aircraft due to "logistical issues" involved in travelling to Sabah and Sarawak. 

"(The jet owner) said that, if I was asked about his identity, I was to say "a friend"...I asked him if he has applied for land in Selangor, if he had interests in Penang, Kedah or Kelantan, although it's not part of the deal. He said no. (So, the favour) is not tied to anything," said Anwar. 

He said the owner of the jet - believed to be Dassault Falcon 7x - is someone he has known “for some time". 

The jet is based in Kuala Lumpur and is registered with the Department of Civil Aviation.  

"(It) was used for travel from Kuala Lumpur to Labuan, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and back to Kuala Lumpur...If possible, I would like to borrow it again.

"He was helping out. Sometimes if my car breaks down I borrow someone else's car, and just now, when speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, I (had borrowed) someone else's jacket," he quipped. 

Anwar said the jet had come in handy as there was no connecting flight from Labuan to Kota Kinabalu on the day, and the only alternative was a two-hour boat ride. 

"Is there an issue of corruption? No. You can check. That's why I had no issues with (Batu MP) Tian (Chua) taking photographs of it. There is no issue," he said.

He also opined that the matter has been blown-up by the BN-linked media "to scare corporate figures from assisting" Pakatan.