Vague answer on PM’s travel bill riles MP

PKR lawmaker Wong Chen rues the 'stupid' answer to his question.

PETALING JAYA: A lawmaker today described as “stupid” the answer he received after he had asked in Parliament how much Putrajaya had spent on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s travels last year.

PKR MP Wong Cheng took issue with the written reply by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman, accusing Putrajaya of giving a vague answer to his question: “How much did the prime minister’s official and unofficial air travels for the entire 2015, cost the government?

Azalina had said that the Airbus Corporate Jetliner 319 was used 61 times in 2015 for official use by Najib, said Wong.

“The minister also stated that the government paid for fuel, airport charges, cabin crew and catering. No amount was provided.”

Taking to Facebook, Wong lashed out at the Prime Minister’s Department for giving a “stupid” answer.

Commenting on Azalina’s response that the government took cost saving measures, resulting in an almost 100 per cent reduction in costs compared to 2014, Wong questioned whether this was even possible.

“The minister can provide a percentage of the so called savings, but cannot state how much was actually spent,” he said.

The use of government jets have in the past, come under fire from opposition leaders and even netizens, especially after it was reported that Putrajaya purchased an Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ320) to replace the 16-year-old Boeing Business Jet.