YOURSAY 'This admission by Azalina that it's on a personal capacity makes it even worse as far as abuse of power is concerned.'
Rosmah's Qatar trip personal, jet approved by DPM
Homesick:
This admission by Pengerang MP Azalina Othman - that PM's wife Rosmah Mansor's trip to Qatar was on a personal capacity - makes it even worse as far as abuse of power is concerned.
If it's personal, why use public's money and the government-funded private jet? Use your own money.
Ferdtan: Azalina, as a qualified lawyer, is smart enough to see the potential danger of PM having conflict of interest if he was the one who sat in the cabinet approving the use of the government jet for his wife.
She pre-empted, with this clarification, to negate any charges of criminal offence been committed against Najib by saying it was DPM Muhyiddin Yassin, an unrelated person, who authorised it.
Why was it not said earlier by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim? Can you show the proof that it was actually DPM who chaired the cabinet meeting which approved the use of the jet?
Oh, we know for sure that you would say the minutes of the cabinet meeting is state secret. However for the sake of clearing the PM's name, don't you think it is better to release the document?
That said, legality aside, it is still morally wrong for the government to use taxpayers' money to hire a private jet for an unelected member of the public to attend a conference. Moreover, she was not representing the government in this women's summit in Qatar.
Vatican67: Ferdtan, I fully agree with you. If she was invited in her personal capacity, why should the rakyat bear the burden of expenses for the trip.
In what capacity or under what category does this expense come under for the cabinet to authorise use of public money for an unelected person?
If the PM had gone along on the same trip, then it would be considered okay. But what is the rationale when Rosmah had gone alone?
Minutes of meeting can be rewritten with the DPM chairing the meeting since there is no requirements for such minutes to be filed with a third party.
Mr KJ John: Unless there was a cabinet paper; there cannot be spending of government funds. Was a cabinet paper tabled by the Finance Ministry on this?
Kim Quek: The 4th Qatar International Businesswomen's Forum is essentially a gathering of private entrepreneurs organised by the Qatari Businesswomen's Association, so the question of a government-to-government invitation did not arise.
Azalina was right that Rosmah went as a private individual; and she certainly did not represent the Malaysian government.
As such, she was not entitled to be given a government jet to travel to Qatar, much less to bring along a large entourage on public expenses; and no amount of sycophancy can alter this fact.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should step in immediately to investigate for abuse of power and corruption by whomever - including the cabinet - for giving approval to such wrongful incurrence of public expenses and allocation government resources.
SenyumUnta: "The invitation was not on a government basis but on a personal basis," Azalina admitted.
Azalina, make it simple. If on a personal basis, why then does she use government facilities? It does not matter who approves it. If I am invited on a personal basis to an international conference, can I also go in the private jet?
Changeagent: Tanjong Karang MP Noh Omar is right about Rosmah - no other first lady in the region gets the prominence she gets.
That's because no other first lady in the region travels in her personal capacity using taxpayer-funded government private jets.
AliFamily: There is additional abuse of power here. It was personal invitation to Rosmah, not to the government, then why senior government officials were paid by the rakyat to accompany Rosmah makan angin (on a holiday)?
Onyourtoes: Yes, PM's wife going, DPM approved; Someday, DPM's wife going, PM will approve. Good arrangement.
Told you all a thousand times already. If the ethos is not right, no amount of transparency, procedures, checks and balance is able to control the abuse and misuse of power.
K Mullah Abu: In simple arithmetic we all know that 1+1= 2. In this incident, simply put, Rosmah has to foot the bill for the trip. The Malaysian government/rakyat does not recognise this sort of bullshit.
The auditor-general should address this sort of misuse if the amount spent is not reimbursed to the government within a period of time.
If it is true that Muhyiddin approved it, then he should be taken to task for this financial misbehaviour . In history, Brutus stabbed Caesar but in this case Caesar's wife stabbed Brutus.
Since it's personal, PM's wife must foot the bill
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