The controversial all-expenses paid 'field trip' to Egypt for the Selangor state assembly's public accounts committee (PAC) has been cancelled at the eleventh hour, said an irate committee member, Lee Hwa Beng.

However, the decision to abort the eight-day tour is not because the 12-member group plans to spend most of its time sight-seeing, which include a belly-dance dinner cruise along the Nile River, visits to the pyramids, Sphinx, Suez Canal and the Moses' hot springs.

Subang Jaya assemblyperson Lee, who was looking forward to the tour which was supposed to leave today, blamed the cancellation on the last-minute pullout by sole opposition committee member Ng Suee Lim, who is assemblyman Sekinchan.

He said the remaining three PAC members could not proceed with the tour as there is insufficient number of committee members on the trip.

Seven PAC members along with their wives were on the original list for the Egyptian tour. However, three withdrew because of other engagements, while Ng pulled out four days ago.

"I'm not disappointed. I'm angry," Lee told reporters at a press conference in Subang Jaya this morning.

Under fire

The extravagant tour has come under fire from various quarters, which has been described by some as a holiday 'junket' for the politicians.

However, Lee defended the trip. He said he did not see the tour as anything "out of the ordinary" and described it as "100 percent educational".

"The cancellation was not because of the itinerary. The itinerary is good. The state government has approved it and it was 'all okay'," he said

When asked about the penalties likely to be levied for the last-minute cancellation, Lee said he did not know the amount, but said Ng, an opposition DAP leader, would have to bear the full responsibility for the problem.

"I place the blame squarely on Ng's shoulders. I'm putting the bill on him. Because of his last-minute withdrawal, the state government is going to lose money," said an incensed Lee.

The other members slated to go on the trip were assemblypersons for Taman Templer and Kampung Medan, Ahmad Bhari Abdul Rahman and Abdul Wahab Ibrahim, respectively.

Tirade against Ng

Continuing his tirade against Ng, the Subang Jaya representative cast aspersions on the DAP member's disagreement with the trip's itinerary when he did not raise any objections to it at two earlier PAC meetings.

"In the two meetings of September and January, that DAP guy was at the meeting and he did not object. The full itinerary (including the belly-dancing item) was given to everyone on Jan 7. He got a copy, but (again) he did not raise any objection," Lee added.

"He said he is in a minority, that he has no voice. You are a member of PAC. You want to talk, you talk, lah! If you don't like the trip, you must talk!

"On one occasion - I don't remember when exactly - Ng even said he would join."

Lee said the itinerary was later sent to the state government for approval. It was later altered.

"When the full itinerary came out, there was no belly-dancing. It was all educational. We have two meetings with Malaysian students, we study the Suez Canal and then we have a dialogue with the Suez Canal authority. We will also visit the Parliament.

"But before the final itinerary was out, that fella (Ng) went to the press, and objected here and there."

When asked about the relevance of visiting religious and historical sites to a committee that Lee described as responsible for oversight "on public spending", to identify "financial irregularities" and "prevent wastage", the state assemblyman said it was an "eye-opener to see the parliamentary system in Egypt and to learn from another country".

"Anyway, everybody wants to go to heaven, right? So we visit these religious sites," he said of the many visits to mosques, churches and other similar sites in the tour programme.

Tour a 'tradition'

Describing these overseas trips as a "tradition" for the committee, Lee added Ng had been involved in a previous trip to New Zealand for the same "educational purpose".

"Last time, when Ng was around, there was a trip - three terms ago - to New Zealand. Then two terms ago, they went to India. This trip was for last term, not this coming term. Every four, five years, we do an educational tour." [Correction]

When asked, however, why the group did not plan any dialogue with the public accounts committee of Egypt or the local state assembly, Lee answered that the itinerary was already too packed to fit in additional items.

"No more time. No chance to go," said a disappointed Lee.

A "half-day" programme had been set aside for the PAC team to meet the Malaysian ambassador in Cairo, two groups of Malaysian students, the Egyptian Parliament, Treasury, as well as Cairo's City Hall.

The remaining seven and a half days are spent visiting the Nile River, the pyramids, Sphinx, Suez canal, Moses' hot springs, an arts institute, museums, temples, a sound and light show, Pompeii's Pillar as well as a few shopping excursions.

Correction: Lee Hwa Beng clarified later that he was referring to DAP Sungai Pinang assemblyman Teng Chang Khim who had gone for the New Zealand trip, not Ng Suee Lim. He also said that official business in the revised itinerary was two and half days, not half a day as reported, while sight-seeing was five-and-half days.