Chinese minister invited my wife to meeting, says Loke

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said today that his wife Ng Chi Ling attended a meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing at the latter's behest.

"China Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng invited her to sit there," Loke said at a press conference in Putrajaya.

"If the Chinese minister allowed her to sit there, what's MCA's problem?"

Loke was responding to MCA raising questions about Ng's presence at the meeting with Li last month. 

The minister's special functions officer Chung Yi Fan, meanwhile, also rebutted MCA's claim that the trip to Beijing lasted six days.

According to Chung, the trip was from Jan 16 to 22, which meets Putrajaya's seven-day requirement for official trips that spouses can tag along for.

The aide cited a government circular, which states that the duration includes travel days, and added that Ng's presence at the meeting should not be questioned.

"Had any members of the Malaysian delegation been absent from official programmes during the working visit to attend other informal excursions, it would be a legitimate cause for further scrutiny.

"Otherwise, what MCA did was no more than (an attempt to seek) cheap publicity," he said in a statement.

As Loke explained, he invited Chinese businesses to participate in Malaysia's port expansion projects, particularly in Port Klang, during the meeting.

He also asked Chinese rail industry manufacturers to use Malaysia as their Southeast Asia hub because of the country's talent pool and supply chain.

On aviation, Loke said he encouraged airlines from both countries to increase flights and connect Malaysia to second- and third-tier Chinese cities.

He also lobbied for Beijing to support Putrajaya's bid for a seat on both the International Maritime Organisation and the International Civil Aviation Council. - Mkini