Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has confirmed that money was paid to lobby for a meeting between US President George W Bush and himself three years ago.

But he also denied that the Malaysian government or himself had paid the reported US$1.2 million (RM4.6 million) to secure the brief meeting at the White House.

According to him, "some people had paid the money" but he did not know who they were.

This has prompted Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang to wonder who footed the multi-million-ringgit bill.

In a statement today, the veteran politician also expressed shock over Mahathir's remark that it was a normal practice in the US to pay lobbyists to secure meetings with the nation's leaders.

"Firstly, it meant that the RM4.6 million lobby effort for the Mahathir-Bush meeting in 2002 had government sanction.

"How much government funds were expended on it, and if no government monies were overtly used, how were those in the 'private sector' reimbursed and/or compensated for their lobby activities?" asked Lim.

He also asked for the identities of all the Malaysians, apart from former deputy home minister Megat Junid Megat Ayub, who were involved in the deal to be revealed.

The opposition leader also called on Megat Junid, who is known to have close ties with Mahathir, to step forward and fully clarify his role in the scandal.

What about Pak Lah's visit?

On the same note, Lim ( right ) also cast aspersions on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's meeting with Bush in 2004.

"How much was expended, whether directly by the government or indirectly by 'non-government' sources to lobby for this meeting, and who were the lobbyists enlisted for this assignment?" he asked.

Yesterday, Mahathir while conceding that money had changed hands to secure his trip, denied he paid disgraced US lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who recently pleaded guilty to fraud and corruption charges.

The former premier also defended the move to pay for the meeting, saying: "That is their system. It is not corruption at all and it is very open, but they don't reveal names".

However, this argument failed to convince Lim.

"Mahathir cannot be more wrong. This is not the US system. It is the corrupt US system. This is why Abramof is now regarded as a criminal and avoided like a plague by American politicians," he said.

"Mahathir should also tell the whole truth, as nobody believes he does not know about the US lobby operation headed by Megat or the sources of the funding," he added.

The White House had officially distanced itself from the report and claimed that the Mahathir-Bush meeting was arranged through "normal channels".