Inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun and his delegation's study trip to Turkey was paid for by lottery operator Da Ma Cai, according to Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Lim said that although the trip had been approved by the Totalisator Board – an agency under the Finance Ministry – the money did not come from the government.
“The source of funding is not the Finance Ministry.
"The source of funding is Da Ma Cai, a number forecasting company, so they didn’t get a penny from us,” he told reporters in Putrajaya today.
The Totalisator Board was set up under the Racing (Totalisator Board) Act 1961 to control and coordinate all betting on horse races in the country.
Previously, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin confirmed that Fuzi headed a team of senior officers on a study tour to Istanbul to learn about combatting online gambling, and that the trip was sponsored by the board.
This followed Sarawak Report alleging on Feb 10 that around 16 senior officers participated in the trip, and that a total of RM312,441 could have been spent on business class flights and five-star accommodation.
However, Muhyiddin said he is unsure of how many officers had gone on the trip, or what their arrangements were.
Meanwhile, Lim said that current procedures stipulate that the Totalisator Board has the power to approve sponsorships without referring to the Finance Ministry for approval.
He added that he would study whether future sponsorships should require ministerial approval. - Mkini
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