Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today revealed the full details of his government's travel expenditure in rebutting critics' accusation that he was just as wasteful as DAP had often accused the BN.

He gave a full account of his government's travel expenditures, including details of a recent trip of a huge entourage to Xiamen and Hainan from Nov 4 - 9 to promote tourism in his state.

NONEIn a press release earlier today, MCA's Lau Chiek Tuan (left) criticised Lim for bringing along his wife on an official trip.

Lau accused Lim of practising "double standards" as he had often criticised BN for spending too much of the public's money on unnecessary and unaccounted for overseas trips.

In a press statement issued today, the DAP secretary-general said Penang had spent RM93,910 for 21 persons.

These were for seven state officials, four spouses and 10 dancers as part of a cross-cultural performing troupe exchange programme.

Lim in his defence added that his government has always been prudent.

"Our expenditure cost for overseas visits in the last five years under Pakatan Rakyat was RM618,000.

NONE"This is only 35 percent of the total expenditure of RM1.766 million that had been used by the BN in the five years before that," he said in the statement.

Lim added that it was a convention inherited from the BN government that allowed exco members to bring along their spouses on one overseas trip annually. The chief minister' s spouse, meanwhile, could accompany the CM every time.

The November trip to China was to participate in the 17th Inter-Islands Tourism Policy (ITOP) Forum and sign a MOU on the establishment of Friendship Cities between Penang and the Hainan provincial government.

The delegation renewed the Friendship Cities relationship between Xiamen and Penang on the 20th anniversary of this scheme.