Seremban MP Anthony Loke has managed to simultaneously embarrass Rosmah Mansor and highlight the government’s mathematical incompetence by revealing the details of her flight cost to Qatar for the 4th Qatar International Business Women Forum last year. In a statement made earlier this morning at Parliament, he slammed the prime minister’s wife for boarding a private jet to Qatar that used RM426,489.46, courtesy of  tax paying Malaysians. 

The RM 426, 489.46 figure however was initially thought to be RM349,489.46 as stated in a written reply from Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim. The breakdown for the sum as written in the reply  was RM196,614.31 spent on fuel and RM229,875.15 for flight and agent’s cost. Loke pointed out that if the minister had used a simple 8 digit calculator to add both the numbers, it would not have equaled to the final figure.

On Rosmah’s use of a private jet to attend the forum, Lok made a comparison that if a business class flight on Malaysian Airlines (MAS) was opted for instead, the cost would have been just RM13,205.00.

“Even if the prime minister’s wife were to bring 10 people with her, it would not even hit RM400,000!” he said.

Following the trip last year, Rosmah had said in her defense that the facility of a government private jet existed before Datuk Seri Najib Razak became the prime minister. 

Loke views this form of extravagance as being incompatible with the Prime Minister’s search for bargains to educate the public on better spending habits.