PM is following the jet, not jet following the PM

YOURSAY ‘Najib flew all the way to Bangkok just to say thank you?’

Who was on board VIP jet for epic journey?

Basically: There are two key questions here involving the use of the government jet. As I understand, the jet is exclusive to top government officials, not civilians.

1. PM Najib Razak rushed back from Hawaii to Kelantan. Why did he have to leave his exclusive mode of transport behind and incur additional expense with an alternative? Was the plane incapacitated? No, it went jetsetting all over the globe, which means it is in good condition.

2. Since Najib has ordered all his ministers home, no one is available to take the exclusive jet around the world in eight days. So who is doing it? The pilot? He better have a good reason. If not the pilot, who? Who is more VIP than Najib?

Now, doing the math, Najib told the whole world he had to rush back “from his holiday without his family”. So it was a holiday, said the PM.

But he made the excuse earlier he was in Hawaii to meet US President Barack Obama for “golf diplomacy”. So was it work or holiday?

Another important question for the PM - are VIPs’ families allowed to fly on a government jet on their private business? I understand one trip a year is allowed, but to what extent? What about the rest of the family?

Umno lackeys claim the PM is concerned about wife’s safety. So be it, in this case, shouldn’t they pay the government market rates for the flight, and not get a free ride?

That's proper accountability and transparency. I have no issue with the PM's family tagging along, as long as they pay the same as they would charge a normal Joe to do so.

I worked with Hong Kong government before, and even if the PM can bring his wife on an official holiday, there has to be a cap to the expense in line with his position. It can’t be a blank check.

Hong Kong outlined strict guidelines for maximum claims for all allowances. For example, the government would pay the holiday up to a certain amount, the excess of which the officer has to foot himself.

I believe it's standard practice worldwide, but I don’t think that’s the case with our VIPs, it’s like our money is their money to splurge.

DontPlayGod: If my memory serves me right, the governmenthad to arrange for a military plane to fetch Najib back to Malaysia.

So besides the cost of the PM's plane, we have also to factor in the additional cost of getting military plane to fetch him back. I wonder how much it cost to fly the official plane round the world and getting a military plane to fetch him back.

Wg321: Malaysiakini readers are going to force Najib to officially declare that the passengers - and the Christmas shopping goods - in the government jet, 9M-NAA, to be under the Official Secrets Act very soon. This will put an end to the controversy.

Pputeh: All said and done. My concern here is why is the PM not coming out to clarify or tell the rakyat about the use of the plane and who was/were on it during his absence. Just an honest answer will suffice.


Najib meets Thai PM in Bangkok
                    
Gerard Lourdesamy: How convenient. Is that why the executive jet after leaving the US stopped over in London and Dubai on route to Bangkok to wait for the PM and to collect his wife who apparently also happened to be in Bangkok at the same time?

If Najib needs to learn about flood management, go to India, Indonesia or the Philippines but do it after the recovery period is over in Malaysia. The Thais are doing us this favour to deflect criticism from the PM and his wife.

Why the need to keep a jet waiting in Bangkok when the PM can use other executive jets from Kuala Lumpur to go to Bangkok and return on the same flight?

This is nothing but duplicity and the sooner that Mahathir gets rid of Najib, the better for Umno-BN and the country.

GMK: Malaysia is very creative country. The government will come up with all sorts of smokescreens, thinking that the people can be easily fooled.

It was reported that the government jet was not with the PM, who is one of the few persons who have the right to use it, while he cut short his holidays flying back on an Air Force plane instead, leaving the government jet behind travelling to many unknown destinations and presumably ferrying mystery passengers at the expense of Malaysian taxpayers’ money.

Then the script take a very creative turn with the government jet reportedly landing in Thailand, and then conveniently our much loved and caring PM was suddenly discussing with the Thai PM on nothing but of course also conveniently on the issue of the current flooding disaster.

No matter how stupid that the Malaysian government may think about us, it could not simply fool all the Malaysian people.

Whysoserious: There is no controversy in Najib meeting with Thai PM in Bangkok. He just wanted to thank the Thai PM for what he had done to help us in solving our flood problems.
                                              
Louis: Najib, you need not fly thousands of kilometres just to thank the Thai PM. In view of the grave situation at home, the Thai PM least expects you to fly to Bangkok to express your gratitude. A phone call to him would suffice.

Or did you have a hidden agenda by going to Bangkok? If really you have to travel to thank countries that provided help to us, it means another excuse to go to Hawaii to thank your golfing buddy and idol, Obama.

But before you do that, please spare a thought for the heavy expenses for your trip. The money spent for the trip could have been used to buy more food for the flood victims.

Flying all the way to a foreign country just to say thank you is just like using a sledgehammer to kill a housefly.

Angel: This is a case of Najib following the plane and not the plane following Najib.

Mushiro: What a way to make a fool of himself. Even his ardent Umno supporters will know that Najib went to Bangkok to try to take the blame away from apparently his wife's use of the 9M-NAA government jet.

Is this the job of a PM? -Mkini