Travel restriction for ministers' spouses

Zaim Ibrahim Zaim Ibrahim Updated 7 years ago · Published on 12 Oct 2018 6:58PM · 6 Comments

THE government has decided to stop paying for spouses who follow ministers on short official visits abroad.

This would apply to any trip that is less than a week, said Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali today.

He said that this was part of the Pakatan Harapan government’s austerity drive.

“We decided that since these visits are work related, they need not involve the participation of any family members.

“If the visit is for less than seven days, the minister can be accompanied by two officials only. The minister’s spouse can only follow if the working visit is for more than seven days,” he said in Sinar Harian’s Mind-Talk programme in Shah Alam, today.

Azmin however explained that the ministers can bring their spouses along at their own expense on visits that are shorter than seven days.

“This is our work culture. We are going to work, not for holiday, shopping or golf,” he said.

He added that it had been a common practice under the previous Barisan Nasional administration for ministers to arrive for a work conference three days before it starts and leave three days after it ends.

Azmin said the ministers would go golfing while the wives would go shopping.

“Now they have to arrive on the day of the conference and depart on the day the conference ends,” he said.

“This is our guarantee from the government to save money, because this is the rakyat’s money,” he added. – October 12, 2018.

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Comments

  • We should publish how the Government is to be reimbursed for family members. Make it transparent. Countries like the US, UK, Australia etc have standards we can emulate.

    Posted 7 years ago by Yoon Kok · Reply

  • In Hong Kong, if a Government Servant were to travel on official business, they are not allowed to extend their stays for personal business even if they reimburse the Government. Even frequent flyer points gained from those trips belong to the Government.

    Posted 7 years ago by Yoon Kok · Reply

  • Include this as part of Ministers Travel SOPs.

    Posted 7 years ago by Thiruchelvam Thirunavukarasu · Reply

  • Salute

    Posted 7 years ago by Hantoo Blacklord · Reply

  • Lets hope that ministers dont make 8-day official visits in the future :)

    Posted 7 years ago by Simple Sulaiman · Reply

  • This should extend also to wives of KSUs, directors-general etc.

    Posted 7 years ago by Léon Moch · Reply