MCA Youth criticised the government’s decision to approve RM486,000 expenditure for former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s two-day trip to Japan for the Nikkei Forum last month, questioning its financial priorities at a time of economic strain.

“Who is really tightening their belts? The people, or you, so-called reformist leaders?” MCA Youth central committee member Lee Kok Seng asked in a statement today.

He pointed out that the average Malaysian worker...