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Annuar's flight of fancy to defend Rosmah's jet-set ways

YOURSAY | 'Using gov't funds is not a right, but a responsibility that comes with accountability.'

Annuar Musa: As PM’s wife, Rosmah’s right to hire jet

Kingfisher: Umno information chief Annuar Musa seems to have taken a flight of fancy on his own by defending the premier's wife's use of public funds, a matter some may consider exorbitant and outlandish.

This is a nation where her husband is still distributing small token sums of money to millions of needy Malaysians as BR1M. Even the mere thought of uncaring extravagance with public funds, while millions are on such government handouts, is revolting to ordinary people.

Many Malaysians would want those with access to public funds for personal use, to be prudent and caring for the general welfare of all.

Anonymous_1424794168: When you use the government's money, it is not a right, but a responsibility that comes with accountability.

Anonymous_3e79: She is just the wife and not an official of the government. Malaysia has never required the services of the wife of the premier. It's a self-elevated position and an abuse of public funds.

FellowMalaysian: Annuar asked us not to expect the wife of the premier to travel on a normal flight schedule. Many of AirAsia's passengers travelling to Penang from KL often see Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng sharing the same flights and seats with them.

If he feels perfectly at ease travelling in commercial budget airlines, why must Rosmah be treated like a royal at the expense of public funds? Since last year, the government has initiated cost-cutting measures because of budget constraints and this has resulted in the government slashing funds allotted to major public universities and school education funds.

The 2015 poor-student education fund in particular was mercilessly reduced from RM200 million to RM10 million. Perhaps part of this saving of RM190 million, went into footing the chartered plane's cost of RM86.4 million? If so, how ironical she was on the way to accept a children's welfare award.

Anonymous_1412829994: Remember the case of the late Singapore former prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's wife, who was Official Lady accompanying her husband to London on official functions?

When she was very sick and needed to quickly return to Singapore and to make very sure that the flight was fully equipped with medical assistance onboard, an SIA plane was chartered solely to fly her back. The Lee family paid the full cost.

Anonymous_139030398: President Jokowi of Indonesia travelled on AirAsia with his own money to his son's convocation.

Anonymous_1401773638: When you have a feudal mentality and treat leaders that are elected as royalty, then everything is a right. In the US, the president has to pay for his own meals and that of his family, including his guests.

How Siow. Rosmah was not elected and we do not pay for her to receive some little known award of no importance to us.

Anonymous #13291217: Ask the New Zealand, Australian or the Dutch prime ministers if they travel on private jets. They take commercial flights even for official visits.

Falcon: I can at least also confirm travelling with UK's premier David Cameron and the Negeri Sembilan royal family on commercial flights as well. In fact Cameron was on economy as well.

No fuss, no extravagant bourgeois trappings. So in this time and age, where political leaders and their households are advised to identify with the people, Annuar's statement shows a total disconnect with reality.

But again, this is Malaysia where our politicians say one thing before the international community, and do their worst at home.

Xed: The pope used public transport when he was a cardinal in Argentina. As pope, he lives in a small apartment in the Vatican City, not in the official palace. He also cooks his own meals.

The late APJ Abdul Kalam too led a very simple life and had few assets when he was president of India and until his death (no Hindu zealot demanded that the position be only for a Hindu).

The MP for Sungai Siput, Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, too, should be commended for his frugal life and his disclosure of his meagre assets.

He could have chosen a different path, one of privilege and wealth as a high-flying doctor. But who do we see dominating Malaysian public life and taking advantage of the taxpayers' money?

And there is a fool of an Umno MP who thinks that when money is extracted from the taxpayer (by law) it becomes the government's money and so taxpayers cannot complain about the way it is used.

But can taxpayers refuse to hand over their money to the government?

Bornean: For all I care, Rosmah can rent the shuttle to the moon as long as she uses her own money.

Shamu99: Can we get a consensus from the cabinet she can use the plane in this manner. Annuar, you are in Umno, not in the cabinet.

Kangkung: Spending RM86 million of the rakyat's money on a flight to Turkey to accept an award is Rosmah's right, while our brightest students are deprived of their right to study at the best overseas universities, after being promised bursaries by the Umno government, doesn't even bother the information chief of Umno.

Watan: It is the people's right to speculate how the people's money is spent, if it seems fishy; though stupidity could also say government's money is not people's money.

Negarawan: “Don’t expect the wife of the prime minister to travel on a normal flight schedule, I don’t think there is a leader in the world who does this”. Umno information chief Annuar Musa cannot defend the indefensible.

His statement is completely unacceptable and is an extremely poor excuse for the wasteful and extravagant spending by the wife of a premier. What matter of urgency and importance is there for her to spend more than RM86 million just to receive an award?

Rosmah is not even an elected representative or a government official. If she has any sense of humility and accountability to the rakyat, she could have requested the Malaysian ambassador to Turkey to accept the award on her behalf.

RM86 million is a significant portion of the RM700 million budget allocated to Permata. Is this how Najib justifies the severely inflated budget?

RM86 million could have benefited the country and rakyat where it is most needed - to ease the escalating cost of living for the poor and basic infrastructure.

Guyintheglass: The minister may want to state which statute is he referring to when making his statement.

Katusha Hiya: Why complain and gripe about it when it was the government's money, and not the rakyat's, as one stupid MP has said.

Responsible Malaysian: According to one MP, once the taxpayers' money has gone to the government, it's no longer the rakyat's money but the government's money. The government can spend as it likes. Hence, if you want your money you paid to still belong to you, you need to elect a government who utilises the money for the rakyat's benefit.

It is like when you invest in a company who takes care of your money for future returns. You will sack the management for using your invested money as though it belonged to them.

Ib: I disagree with Annuar. First, the premier's wife is not an elected official nor appointed, as there is no position called 'prime minister's wife', and she has no right to spend taxpayers' money especially when not accompanying the premier.

Secondly, she claims to be helping children. But the money spent on private jets could be used to help so many children, who are too poor to go to school here in Malaysia.

Lastly if you want to spend taxpayers' money it must be done transparently and every single citizen has the right to question extravagant spending. Bottom line, I question where the 'heart' is when you help people. Spend the money on the people, not on luxury trips.

Mojo Jojo: All right, Annuar. Please name the official duties of the 'first lady of Malaysia' and what is she eligible for under the constitution and the law. You can't? That's because there is none.

Also, don't use your holy month as an excuse of barring others from discussing wrongdoings by public officials. Oh, wait, did I say public official? I meant private citizen. My bad.


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