Defence Ministry has brushed off criticism that minister Mohamad Sabu's recent trip to attend a buka puasa event in Butterworth using a military aircraft constituted an abuse of power.
Mohamad was invited by the armed forces chief Affendi Buang to attend the event and meet the military personnel of the Butterworth Air Force Base on May 26, the ministry said in a statement today.
The Amanah chief, who is known as Mat Sabu, was accompanied by his wife and top generals from the armed forces for the bukapuasa event.
On May 28, lawyer Abu Backer Sidek Mohamad Zan lodged a report with the MACC, alleging that there was an abuse of power.
He was reported by Free Malaysia Today (FMT) as saying that the use of military assets was wasteful and unnecessary, claiming each trip could easily cost “at least US$50,000 (RM199,125)”.
"I think it is too expensive. If you want to fly to Penang, you do not need to spend US$50,000. You can fly commercial flights, even in first or business class," Abu Backer had said.
However, the ministry defended Mohamad by claiming that the buka puasa event was an annual official function for the forces and also their first meeting with the minister.
The use of Airbus A400M for the purpose of transporting the ministry delegates and forces' senior officials could be beneficial and would also complete the flying hours of the pilot who flew the transport aircraft, it added.
"Besides that, this would also save the transportation costs compared with taking the commercial flights."
This was meant to give an exposure for the aircraft, which was used in various military operations, and maintain the preparedness of the armed forces, said the ministry. -Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.