Recently, the use of government helicopters by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to visit a Felda settlement in Kedah were met with backlash.
The incident was called out by Kedah caretaker menteri besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, who slammed Anwar and suggested that the Prime Minister should use other ground transportation options.
In response to Sanusi, the Pakatan Harapan chairman said he was allowed to use the government aircraft as Prime Minister and claimed there was nothing wrong with doing so.
Electoral watchdog Bersih has released a statement urging Anwar and other federal Ministers not to use the government’s assets as tools to campaign in the state elections as it is unfair to their political rival candidates.
They said, “We feel the use of government assets for campaigning is unfair, and ministers and the federal government shouldn’t mix official government work with campaigning.”
“If used for campaigning, these extra costs like gas and oil for these helicopters and government vehicles should be borne by the user, and the payment should be made public as a matter of principle.”
“In addition, politicians shouldn’t use these vehicles to show off or act like they own them, bought them with their own money. Such arrogant behaviour displayed by the prime minister will only come back to him in the future,” Bersih said in its statement.
Meanwhile, they also called on the government and the opposition to speed up legislation to limit the use of government assets for personal or non-government-related activities.
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