Private gov't aircraft trips cost RM470k per flight

VIDEO l 3:26 mins

PARLIAMENT Trips taken using the government's seven private aeroplanes and helicopter cost, on average, close to half a million in 2012, a written reply to Parliament reveals.

Replying to Anthony Loke’s query (DAP-Seremban), Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim said that this includes RM14.95 million in fuel costs and RM160.08 million in maintenance costs.

Shahidan said that this was for 372 trips to 339 destinations for official business.

This amounts to more than RM470,000 for each of the flight.

The aircraft, meant for use by VVIPs including the prime minister and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, include a Falcon, Global Express, Boeing Business Jet, Blackhawk, two Augustas and a Fokker F28.

The Fokker has since been donated to the Royal Malaysian Air Force museum, Shahidan said.

"This (cost) does not include 2013, when we know that the prime minister travelled to many local destinations in the lead-up to and during the general election campaign.

"We know the aircraft cannot be used for party business but the BN seem to have no shame using government funds for party work," Loke later told reporters at the Parliament lobby.

Loke also questioned the alleged misuse of these aircraft for “private holidays”.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak reportedly used an Airbus A319-11x sporting the 1Malaysia symbol on its tail logo to fly to Perth allegedly for a family holiday in 2011.

The Airbus, which goes by the call sign NR1 - which is coincidentally the premier’s initials - is not listed among the seven aircraft.

Last month, another written reply in Parliament revealed that it cost taxpayers RM86.4 million to rent a jet for Najib for his official trips.

The written reply to Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) said that this was the cost to rent the PM’s private jet (pesawat VVIP kerajaan AJ319) from 2010 to 2012.