DAP questions govt on executive jets

KUALA LUMPUR: The issue of the government having several executive jets was raised in Parliament with a DAP parliamentarian questioning the rational behind it.
DAP Organising Secretary Anthony Loke Siew Fook (DAP - Seremban) in his oral question in Parliament yesterday sought details on the amount spent on the aircraft and the list of passengers onboard the VIP airbus A319CJ which flew from KLIA to Padang, Indonesia on Aug 27 this year.
Talking to reporters, he said, he had received a written reply today where Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim stated that the passengers onboard the airplane were Prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and a government delegate for an official visit to Singapore.
As to the cost, the response was "all cost involved with the flight are within the estimates suitable with the services rendered."
Loke said he was disappointed with Shahidan's refusal to furnish details to the cost of using the aircraft.
"Does he not understand my question or is he purposely hiding the details to avoid negative public perception towards the government?" he asked.
He said he had asked similar questions about six years ago, and many of them were answered in detail, including the cost spent for each visit.
In March, Loke said, he had received a reply from the government, that Rosmah had used the plane to visit Qatar, and it cost RM426,489.46.
"There is no reason for any ministers not to answer questions raised by an MP in the Dewan Rakyat. And every sen spent for official purposes by the Prime Minister and his wife are public funds and should be answered," he added.
Loke claims that if there is no transparency in the government's spendings, more resources and funds will be misused and wasted.
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had stated in January this year that during his 22 years in power he had opted to downgrade his jet during his early years in office.
In 1981, he inherited a Boeing 737 from the previous PM and used it for a short while and decided to sell the plane and buy a smaller one.
Last November, the Prime Minister's Department told Parliament that the government now owns at least five planes including a Boeing Business Jet.
The aircraft, meant for use by VVIPs, including the prime minister and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, include a Falcon, Global Express, Boeing Business Jet, Blackhawk, two Augustas and a Fokker F28.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim said that in 2012, the costs for the jets were RM14.95 million in fuel and RM160.08 million in maintenance costs.
Mahathir was asked if he thought Najib's spending on jets were excessive and he said, "The government is much richer now".