IGP’s Turkey trip not funded by Finance Ministry, says Guan Eng

Alfian Z.M. Tahir Alfian Z.M. Tahir Updated 7 years ago · Published on 13 Feb 2019 3:38PM · 7 Comments

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng says he knows nothing about the trip to Turkey by police top brass. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, February 13, 2019.

THE high-ranking police delegation that spent a week in Istanbul did not travel using Finance Ministry funds, said Lim Guan Eng.

The minister said the money was from number-forecasting company Da Ma Cai, and was approved by the Malaysian Totalisator Board.

“I know nothing about the trip, and I did not approve it (funds). It was approved by the Totalisator Board.

“We (Finance Ministry) did not give a single sen to the company or Totalisator Board.”

The board, formed under the Racing (Totalisator Board) Act 1961, is responsible for controlling and coordinating betting on horse races. It is an agency under the Finance Ministry.

Yesterday, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said he had approved a working trip to Turkey sponsored by the Totalisator Board for Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun and his men.

“I gave the approval, and the trip was to tackle online gambling. But I was not informed of how many personnel went to Turkey, and if they had flown on business-class tickets,” he said, adding that the trip was sponsored by the Totalisator Board.

“The purpose (of the trip) was to (fight) online gambling, and it is useful. (It is) not about someone who will retire soon. We don’t do that.

“I approved it because it was a useful trip. But as I said, I do not know how many people went, or which tickets they bought.”

Fuzi’s trip to Istanbul was highlighted by whistle-blower site Sarawak Report, which on Sunday said the delegation comprised 17 high-ranking police officers, some of whom were accompanied by their wives.

It said Fuzi and his men stayed at the four-star Hotel Sura Hagia Sophia in Sultanahmet.

According to Booking.com, weekend rates at the hotel are roughly RM685 per night.

A return business-class ticket on those days costs RM6,154 (outbound) and RM8,800 (return), a total of RM14,954 per officer.

That comes to RM254,218 for flights and RM58,225 for rooms, before taking meals and expenses into account, said Sarawak Report.

Senior police officers who were not part of the delegation told The Malaysian Insight that the trip was a waste of taxpayers’ money, and that such a huge delegation was not necessary to learn methods on fighting online gambling. – February 13, 2019.

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Comments

  • 1. halal ke?
    2. conflict of interests?

    Posted 7 years ago by Billy rave · Reply

  • Wow! eat sleep and fly with gambling money. Halal ke? Where's all the lebai?

    Posted 7 years ago by Chee yee ng · Reply

  • Why couldn't they go to Singapore and learn from their counterparts there?

    Posted 7 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply

  • The question is, is it GOVERNMENT or PUBLIC money, not which ministry paid for the trip!! Please be open and straightforward, not beat around the bush. Are you saying it was funded by the private sector, or paid for out of their own pockets? If by the private sector, that leads to more questions - why and who in the private sector paid for it? DON'T MISLEAD MALAYSIANS BY IMPLYING THAT THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT PAY FOR THE HOLIDAY.

    Posted 7 years ago by Ravinder Singh · Reply

  • Probably unrelated but they are literally sponsored by Macai, so...

    Posted 7 years ago by Z Azmyl · Reply

  • Our PAS and UMNO forget that they are elected to check and balance the government. They are now fast sleeping instead.

    Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Shitpot quality of a force!

    Posted 7 years ago by Watchdog Watchdog · Reply