Editor's note: An earlier version of this article had erroneously stated that Transport Ministry had paid RM808,629 to a "PR firm." This article has been updated with the necessary corrections. The error is deeply regretted.

The Transport Ministry had allocated RM808,629 for a purported public relations firm, whose scope included a producing a weekly newspaper paper column.

New Transport Minister Anthony Loke said his ministry staff informed him of the seven-month contract ending in late July, which was billed as a "ministerial communication programme."

"The ministry doesn't seem to be really clear what 'ministerial communication' means, but it is understood that its scope includes penning the weekly column," said Loke during a press conference.

Loke said that he has cancelled the contract because there was no need for a PR firm to manage the minister's image.

"I can communicate directly with the press. No need for a PR firm.

"This is an example of the unnecessary things which the previous government spent on," he said, while confirming that no payment has been made to date despite the ministry having allocated the sum.

No payment made

Later this evening, Lim Chau Leng, a spokesperson for former transport minister Liow Tiong Lai, said that the only part of Loke's statement that was true was that no payment was made – because no such service was rendered.

Lim explained that the "PR firm" mentioned by Loke was in fact the now-defunct Performance Management Delivery Unit (Pemandu). 

Then-prime minister Najib Abdul Razak had instructed each ministry to report their respective KPI to the public, he added, and Transport Ministry appointed Pemandu to carry out this task.

"The so-called column by The Star, as mentioned by minister Loke, was meant to appear twice a week. This was but one of the public engagement exercises which was not meant for personal publicity," he said. 

However, there was not enough time to implement these KPI engagement strategies, Lim added, and the plan was jettisoned.

"It was not because Pemandu failed to provide its service. Even Loke himself admitted that Pemandu did not charge the government."

Lim also urged Loke to focus 100 percent on policy work instead of trying to score political points by criticising the former transport minister.