MPs Questioned Over Necessity Of Lavish Meals That Cost Up To RM10,000 A Day
An alleged receipt shows they had spent almost RM3,000 on a single prawn dish.
By May Vin Ang — 06 Aug 2020, 12:19 PM
Batu Member of Parliament (MP) P Prabakaran has demanded an explanation over a lunch believed to have cost more than RM6,000 that was enjoyed by several Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs recently
Prabakaran raised the question in a press conference in the Dewan Rakyat lobby on Wednesday, 5 August, over why the ministers and other officials had to spend such lavish amounts for meals.
According to Sinar Harian, the opposition MP alleged that they were spending up to RM10,000 a day of ministerial funds and money from government-linked companies (GLC) since the Parliament session began.
Prabakaran showed the media pictures of a lunch that was purportedly held in a government whip office on 3 August
Attendees seen in the picture included Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Senior Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun, Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, Arau MP Shahidan Kassim, and Padang Terap MP Mahdzir Khalid.
He also provided an alleged receipt of the lunch that came up to a total of RM6,525
The receipt showed the dishes they had and their prices:
- A prawn dish (RM2,785)
- Fried kerai fish (RM1,950)
- Gulai patin tempoyak (RM980)
- Fried kampung chicken (RM560)
- Ulam and sambal (RM75)
- Mixed vegetables (RM175)
The Batu MP questioned the need for such a costly feast when the Dewan Rakyat cafeteria already prepares food for the MPs to eat and drink.
Prabakaran then further alleged that certain ministries and GLCs took turns to sponsor these luxurious meals
He provided another photo that showed a schedule of dates spanning the ongoing Parliament session from 13 July to 27 August.
"In the schedule, among the ministries and GLCs that offered to sponsor the banquet are the Ministry of Finance, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Majlis Amanah Raya (MARA), Tekun, Prasarana, FELDA, and the Malaysia Palm and Oil Board (MPOB)," he said.
"I urge for an explanation from the government whip, who does the ministerial and GLC funds belong to?" Prabakaran demanded
"This is the rakyat's money for administering the country and economy," he continued, as quoted by Malaysiakini.
"In this COVID-19 situation when the people are just eating potatoes, they are eating udang galah," he said, adding that the food was so abundant that the MPs had to even take some home.
