By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — The DAP wants the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to explain why RM76.8 million (US$24.2 million) was paid to APCO Worldwide, the public relations consultancy engaged by the Najib administration.
DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang told reporters here in Parliament that a proper explanation was needed on why such an exorbitant amount of money was paid to the consultancy firm.
“A proper explanation should be given, at least at the committee stage (of the 2010 Supplementary Bill).”
“Why are millions being spent just for the purpose of the Prime Minister and the 1 Malaysia concept?” said Lim.
The government paid RM76.8 million to APCO Worldwide, the international public relations consultancy linked by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders to Israel, for its services from last July until June this year. The amount was revealed yesterday by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, in a written reply to a question in Parliament from PKR MP, Chua Tian Chang.
Chua had disclosed this to reporters yesterday, and pointed out that the amount far exceeded the RM28 million mentioned by Nazri previously.
The minister’s written reply provided a breakdown of the fee paid by the government to APCO, starting from July 15, 2009 until June 4, 2010.
Nazri, when approached by The Malaysian Insider had praised APCO for successfully repairing Malaysia’s image in the United States, and credited the consultancy for Prime Minister Datu Seri Najib Razak’s meeting with US President Barack Obama as proof of its success.
“It will be more worthwhile for Najib to get his own ministers to say “Malaysian first, race second.”
“Every time I say this to BN MPs, they will run for their life, the backbenchers, Tsu Koon,” said the DAP’s Lim today.
Lim, who is Ipoh Timur MP, claimed that Najib should train his sights on fixing the credibility of his own Cabinet.
“This is disgraceful, Najib should focus more on the credibility of his 1 Malaysia team, otherwise the whole Cabinet should resign,” added the DAP man.