The government spent approximately RM86.4 million to charter a private jet for a period of two months, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli said today.

The jet in question was purportedly used by the prime minister’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, during her trip to Istanbul last month.

Rafizi said the hourly rate of an Airbus ACJ319 was US$15,000, based on checks with companies that offer jet-renting services.

This means that RM86.4 million was spent to charter the plane for two months, which amounted to 1,440 hours.

The RM86.4 million, said Rafizi, could be used to fund the studies of 1,920 outstanding students at local universities.

The same amount could also be used as Majlis Amanah Negara (Mara) loans amounting to RM20,000 each for 4,320 bumiputera students.

Apart from this, the same amount could also be used to send 86 out of the 300 outstanding students in the 2013 SPM examinations overseas, he said.

Umno/BN leaders, said Rafizi, could no longer give excuses to rationalise such exorbitant expenditure.

“I don't want to hear excuses. The more they justify this, the more they will sound like idiots.”

'Voters are sick and angry'

The vocal lawmaker also believed voters were “sick and angry” with such occurrences.

Rafizi took this as an opportunity to urge Umno members to vote for Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) as a sign of protest in the Kuala Kangsar by-election.

“If you can’t bear to do that, then don’t come out to vote.

“That’s the best way for you to teach Najib, to advise him that if he continues to do this, he’ll continue to lose votes, so he'd better buck up now.”

Reminding them that their children were also victims deprived of scholarships, Rafizi reasoned that not going out to vote would help turn the country’s situation around so there would no longer be unnecessary wastages.

Today is the second day of Rafizi's expose on Rosmah’s use of a private jet for her trip to Istanbul. He is set to reveal more details on the matter tomorrow.