Rosmah flies as part of government trips, minister says
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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 ― Putrajaya does not disclose separately the cost of Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's foreign trips as she travels as part of an official entourage, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim told Parliament today.
The minister in the Prime Minister's Department said in a written reply that while the prime minister's wife had flown to Indonesia and Singapore in August on a private jet, she had done so as a government delegate and part of an official visit.
“The aircraft is an official aircraft of the government, which is used by the prime minister.
“All related cost is based on appropriate estimates equivalent to the services offered,” Shahidan said.
Earlier, DAP MP Anthony Loke had demanded for a breakdown of Rosmah's travel expenses, and questioned why these were kept “secret” when they were paid for using public funds.
In the question posed, Loke also asked the government to disclose the identity of the personage on board the jet belonging to the air force, which flew to Padang, Indonesia from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on August 27.
Rosmah was in Padang to accept the Minangkabau tribe’s highest award for women, given for her contribution in safeguarding the identity of the ethnic group.
Shahidan’s reply, however, noted that Rosmah was on the flight to Singapore to launch an agro bazaar event.
“But Shahidan did not deny that there was a flight scheduled to Padang... we have raised the issue of the prime minister’s wife using the special government aircraft repeatedly but it keeps happening,” said Loke.
He pointed that, of late, the federal government has been suppressing information pertaining to civil servants, referring to recent bidding of BMW registration plates by five unidentified government officials.
Loke said the government should not use the risk of “negative perception” as an excuse not to disclose information, particularly on public spending, warning that it would lead to severe wastage of public funds and resources.
