DEPUTY Chief Minister James Masing’s justification for the flying out of 150 village chiefs and BN grassroots leaders to Putrajaya using military transport planes shows he is “grasping at straws”, Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian said today.

Baru said Masing’s excuses were turning the “sorry saga into a comedy show”.

Masing yesterday said one third of those who were flown out to meet Prime Minister Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi were from Kanowit and had fought against the communists in the 1970s.

Masing said the trip was to show the armed forces’ appreciation of those who had helped to fight communists in Ngemah during the insurgency.

Baru, however, said it was clear to everyone following the issue that Masing was in damage control mode after receiving heavy criticism on social media and that his excuse of reward for fighting the communists was just “plain absurd”.

Masing, in an earlier news report, was quoted to have said: “It was because I could not afford to use commercial flights. We are talking about 180 people”.

Masing also said the purpose of the visit was to show support for Najib’s leadership.

“Nothing was said about payback for fighting the communists.”

The Ba Kelalan assemblyman said if Masing was really serious about rewarding the village chiefs for services rendered, flying them out in military planes that were not made for comfort or fitted with amenities, and which took longer to arrive, was a poor way to do it.

“Surely they deserve to fly business class on a comfortable plane?

“It is the least the deputy chief minister could have done for them, after all the sacrifices they made.

“Did he make the ultimate sacrifice and travel with the village chiefs in the military plane or did he fly in comfort on a commercial plane?,” Baru asked.

He also questioned Masing’s selectivity in only rewarding those from Song, Kapit, and Belaga for fighting the communists.

“What about those who live in other areas? Why are they not similarly rewarded?

“If the DCM is really serious about rewarding those who fought the communists, why not fight for their pensions to be raised?

“That would be fair to all ex-servicemen, and certainly that would be more useful to them. It is no secret that the ex-servicemen have been calling for their pensions to be raised as they cannot make ends meet on what they are receiving now.”

Baru said by flying the village chief and BN grassroots leaders on the military planes, Masing had injured the dignity of the village chiefs as well as abused his power by misusing the aircraft.

“His admission that he could not afford to fly them commercially and therefore used the military aircraft is a blatant abuse of power by using government assets for political activities.

“Not only was that abuse of power, it was also misuse of military assets, as it was not an emergency situation that required the use of military aircraft.”

Baru said if Masing had initiated the visit, then he should have paid for them to travel in comfort.

“If it was Najib Razak, he should have paid for them to travel in style and comfort.

“With all his billions, he could have easily chartered a plane to fly them to Putrajaya if he had any respect for them.

“Why the need to bring them in such an undignified manner?

“It was appallingly disrespectful for the deputy chief minister or the prime minister to be so stingy and fly them in a plane not designed for commercial use.”

150 of the village chiefs and BN grassroots leaders last Thursday flew in two military transport planes, an Airbus 400M and a C-130 Hercules, from Sibu to Subang air force base in what some social media user described as “cattle flights” .

Another 30 reportedly paid out of their pocket to fly on commercial flights. – October 2, 2017.