PM, DPM, wives spent RM25.1m on trips since 2008

(The Malaysian Insider) – The Prime Minister’s Department has revealed that Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and their spouses spent RM25.1 million for their official trips abroad from 2008 to June this year.

In a written response to Chua Tian Chang (PKR-Batu) in Parliament last week, the department reported that of the total, Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor had spent RM17,118,650.58 for their official functions abroad while Muhyiddin and his wife Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman had spent RM8,020,328.07.

Chua had asked the prime minister to list the total cost of his and his deputy’s official visits abroad according to date, location and purpose from 2008 to 2011. He had also asked for details on Rosmah’s expenses in the same years.

Najib, who was deputy prime minister in 2008, only succeeded former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in April 2009.

Muhyiddin was international trade and industry minister in 2008 before he was appointed as Najib’s deputy and education minister in 2009.

According to the department’s response, made available to the media today, Najib and Rosmah had jointly spent some RM1.7 million in 2008, RM4.8 million in 2009, RM5.1 million last year and RM5.4 million until June this year.

Muhyiddin and Norainee, on the other hand, had jointly spent RM2.7 million in 2008, RM609,185 in 2009, RM1.38 million last year and RM3.27 million until June this year.

“The Prime Minister’s Department does not prepare any special allocation for the expenses of the prime minister’s wife. The department only finances the expenses of the Prime Minister’s Office,” the response said.