MELAKA: The government covered nearly half a million ringgit in expenses for former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s trip to Japan to attend the annual Nikkei conference last month, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said the government allocated approximately RM486,000 for the visit after receiving a formal application from Mahathir.
He explained that there were provisions which allowed former prime ministers to apply for government support for official travel. The government will grant the application if it is approved by the sitting prime minister.
“He applied, and I approved. I believe the delegation comprised around seven people,” Anwar told reporters here.
“I have people asking me why we (the government) paid for him. He is entitled to apply… and I decided to approve RM486,000 for him to go to Japan.
“I just don’t want anyone to misunderstand (this) or have a negative perception. Despite his daily criticisms of the government, we still approved his (travel) application.”
Anwar was speaking to reporters after an empowerment seminar and a closed-door meeting with PKR leaders.
On May 30, Mahathir was reported to have attended and delivered a speech at the annual Nikkei Future of Asia conference, an event he had regularly attended over the years.
In a Facebook post on May 31, the 99-year-old reflected on his long participation in the forum, which he said he had attended almost every year since its inception 30 years ago.
AloJapan.com