Former NSTP group editor A Kadir Jasin said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's acceptance of sponsorship to attend his daughter's wedding reception in Kazakhstan was questionable.

"We must ask ourselves whether it is appropriate for the prime minister to accept sponsorship for the lavish event, for which he sent out invitations.

"Wouldn't our prime minister now owe (the sponsor) a favour, and be subjected to blackmail from the sponsors?

"For example (he could be blackmailed into), buying dozens of luxury watches as gifts?" Kadir wrote in his blog.

Kadir was responding to Najib's special officer Rizal Mansor who told Malaysiakini that the prime minister's recent trip to Kazakhstan was sponsored by his son-in-law Daniyar Kessikbayev.

According to Rizal, who was part of Najib's entourage, Kessikbayev had also sponsored several other guests as well, but did not specify how many were part of the trip.

Sparked by Dr M's claims

Najib, his wife Rosmah Mansor and their entourage were in Kazakhstan from April 17 to 19 for the Kazakh leg of the wedding reception.

Prior to this, two receptions were held in Kuala Lumpur and in Najib's home town of Pekan, Pahang.

Little is known about the events, but heated discussions about the reception began after former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed there was talk circulating that RM3 million was spent on flower arrangements for the wedding reception held at KLCC on March 28.

Mahathir also claimed that Najib's entourage to Kazakhstan in April was 300-strong.

The two government jets normally used to fly the prime minister abroad did not fly to Kazakhstan during that period.