Federal Territories MCA has urged the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government to provide details on its RM15 million allocation for publicity efforts.

In a statement today, Federal Territories MCA treasurer-general Tan Chai Ho said the release of the information was made more pressing in light of DAP's intense scrutiny over Tourism Malaysia's RM1.8 million social media campaign.

Tan said Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen had already given the details of the campaign to Parliament and also invited the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to probe the matter.

tan chai ho pc 200809 01 Her openness, he said, shows that Ng, who is the MCA vice-president, had nothing to hide and had a clear conscience.

Singling out DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke, who has been attacking Ng for several days over the controversy, Tan ( left ) said Loke should also scrutinise Selangor's RM15 million allocation.

"When DAP's Antony Loke criticises BN, he should ensure that his own Pakatan leaders would also lead by example.

"Being a member of DAP, Loke should urge the Selangor state assembly to reveal how the Selangor Pakatan government has spent the RM15 million on its self-publicity, how such publicity has benefitted Selangor because people still cannot see any traces of the expenses' benefit to the state.

"If the RM15 million served no purpose, is it money down the drain? If this RM15 million publicity is meant for the Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim to counter BN, then how will DAP feel then?" asked Tan.

Tourism Ministry's cost is justified

In contrast, Tan said the Tourism Ministry can justify its expenditure by citing a tourism revenue of RM56.5 billion in 2010 with a record 24.6 million tourist arrivals, making Malaysia the ninth most visited country in the world.

"The Asian Wall Street Journal also shows that Malaysia's tourism contributed to 9.5 percent of the GDP," he said.

ng yen yen pc 150611 facebook Ng ( right ) has come under fire from netizens and from DAP for the online campaign which they claim cost too much.

On June 14 , her deputy James Dawos Mamit told the Dewan Rakyat "applications through the social media sites were developed with a cost of RM1,758,432.00."

The actual breakdown of the cost has yet to be publicly revealed, although Mamit's reply did mention that each "application" would cost RM293,072.

As for the RM15 million propaganda efforts, Khalid had stated that the expense was necessary as the mainstream media was not publicising the state government's various activities and efforts.

He said the money would be used for billboards, leaflets and state-owned media organisations such as Selangor TV, the web portal SelangorKini and its various newsletters.