KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today reiterated that his delegation has not, in any way, used private company funds to cover the cost of flights for the recent official visit to four countries. Instead, he stated that the expenses, amounting to RM1.6 million, were fully borne by the government.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar explained that the remaining seats on the chartered Malaysia Airlines flight were offered to private companies that had legitimate business purposes in the countries involved, such as investment or joint ventures, and these companies paid their respective costs, totalling RM4.5 million. Anwar emphasized that had the government opted for its executive jet, the expenses would have been RM2.5 million. With the current flight-sharing approach, the cost to the government was reduced to RM1.6 million.

Anwar further clarified, “I repeat, the Government did not use private company funds. There is no conflict of interest. Do not get caught up in slander in this ag
e of madness,” in his latest Facebook post. This statement was in response to a report by Sinar Harian, quoting C4 Center chief executive officer Pushpan Murugiah, who expressed concerns that using private company funds for overseas trips could lead to undue pressure from the companies involved in exchange for favours.

Pushpan Murugiah reportedly highlighted that while financial considerations might be the primary factor in the decision, potential conflicts of interest between public and private sectors should also be considered by the government.

Meanwhile, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil had previously reported that the government managed to save nearly RM1 million on flight costs for the Prime Minister’s recent official visits overseas. Fahmi, who also serves as the Unity Government spokesperson, mentioned that the government only incurred RM1.662 million for the chartered flight using Malaysia Airlines’ Airbus A350, compared to the RM2.5 million cost of using the government’s official aircraft.