Shabery ready to defend K-Pop expenditure 'live'

Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek is so confident that he is in the right on government expenditure for a K-Pop concert last year that he wants to explain this live on television.

In a text message to Malaysiakini, Shabery said he is willing to be probed by the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) and has even contacted PAC chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed on the matter.

"I will explain this matter to the PAC. I have contacted the PAC chairperson to call me.

"I will also request that Parliament allows the proceedings of my explanation to the PAC to be broadcast live on television," he said.

Shabery was asked to respond to the call by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim (left) today that Shabery be probed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on the K-Pop concert expenses.

He was also asked to comment on Auditor-General Ambrin Buang's insistence that the concert was paid for by the government and not by sponsors, as claimed by Shabery.

According to the Auditor-General's Report 2012, the concert, which was part of the mammoth 2012 Hari Belia celebrations, had cost the government RM1.6 million.

Shabery, who was Youth and Sports Minister in 2012, contended that the auditor-general was "culas" (not dilligent) in the audit and did not take into account RM20 million in sponsorship raised.

However, current Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also said the government paid for the concert, but was forced to do so because sponsorship pledges fell through.