Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching today rubbished the oral reply from Minister Azalina Othman Said to her question on the cost involved in a Permata programme in London in May.

"My question was, I wanted to know the cost for the trip to London, the details of the trip and what was the outcome of the visit by Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (who is Permata patron) and two other ministers to London between May 4 and 10.

"I was surprised by the oral reply given by Azalina. She (Azalina) did not state at all the amount involved. This is a very bad answer. This is rubbish," Teo told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

According to Teo, she had written in to ask the prime minister on the cost of that trip to London.

She also wanted to know the details of the programme involving the prime minister's wife (Rosmah), who was accompanied by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim and Azalina herself.

In her reply, Azalina only said that the cost involved in the London trip was agreed to by the cabinet, under allocations from the Prime Minister's Department.

She said five programmes were carried out during the trip and mentioned four of its outcomes.

Teo questioned why Azalina, who is also Pengerang MP, could list down the "benefits" of the trip, but not its cost.

"Why can't Azalina reveal to the rakyat how much was spent on the programme?

"Everyone knows that such expenses have to go through the cabinet. My question was, how much did it cost? RM1 million, RM2 million or half a million? Can't even answer such a simple question."

Rosmah was in London to give a speech and open the Nobelist Mindset, a programme organised by Permata Pintar with the Royal Society of London.

Apart from that, Rosmah also witnessed the signing of two Letters of Intent, one between Permata Pintar and Cambridge University, and the other, between Permata Insan and Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, University of Oxford.