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6 Questions That Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam Must Answer Over The Scandal Of Publicly-Funded RM 1 Million Around The World Holiday Disguised As A Working Visit For Top Government Officials Travelling Through USA And Dubai

Press Conference Statement
 by Lim Guan Eng

(Melaka, Thursday): Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam should stop employing moral snoops spying youths but focus on answering 6 questions over the scandal of publicly funded RM 1 million around the world holiday disguised as a working visit for top government officials traveling through USA and Dubai. Datuk Mohd Ali had led a 23-member delegation for this working visit from 4-19 January 2005 which included the Melaka Governor Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob. 

Other members of the official delegation obtained in the itinerary for the working visit included Melaka State EXCO member Datuk Poh Ah Tiam and his wife as well as Datuk Mohd Ali’s three children, Mohd Ridhwan bin Mohd. Ali, Wan Nadzirah binti Mohd Ali and Muhammad Hamka bin Mohd. Ali. The rest are made up of other state government officials, two contractors undertaking the RM 92 million Melaka River beautification project and two reporters from Bernama. According to a copy of their itinerary, the 23 delegates will visit Hawaii, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans and Miami before transiting in London and Dubai to return to Malaysia.

Throughout the ‘working visit’, the delegation only has one confirmed official function with the Lt Governor of the Hawaii state, James R Alona Jr. Other scheduled ‘official visits’ are to Pearl Harbour, the San Antonio riverwalk, the French Quarters, Millionaires Row in New Orleans, Everglades National Park in Miami and the Houston Medical Centre. The delegation will also visit other tourism spots such as the Waikiki beach, Hanauma Bay Lookout and Hawaii’s famous landmark, the Diamond Head.

Instead of a direct flight back to Malaysia, the delegation will instead transit at Dubai and spend about two and half days (Jan 16 and 17) although no official function is scheduled. On the first day at the UAE capital, the delegation will go on a city tour. On the second day, they will visit three popular places - the Internet City, Media City and the Palm Island. Throughout their two weeks in the US and Dubai, the 23 delegates are arranged to stay in posh hotels like Hilton Hawaii Village Beach and Spa, as well as Hotel Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa.  

In response to my challenge as to the RM 1 million cost of this around the world holiday and why his children were part of the official delegation, Datuk Mohd Ali responded that:

  • he had paid for the cost of his three school-going children’s visit; and

  • he will prove that his visit to the United States will benefit Melaka in the long run.

Such an explanantion is unacceptable because he refuses to account important questions of public interest. If Datuk Mohd Ali is serious about public accountability and transparency, then he should answer 6 questions:-

  1. Why is Datuk Mohd Ali afraid to reveal the cost of the trip estimated at RM 60,000 per head or almost RM 1 million in public funds for this “working” visit?

  2. Is this not a holiday disguised as a working visit when there are only official appointments on 3 days out of 15 days with the remaining 12 days being taken up by sight-seeing and shopping.

  3. What type of working visit is this when there is only one confirmed official   meeting with the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii and two tentative meetings, one with the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the other with the San Antonio City Hall?;

  4. If this trip is intended to promote tourism. why are both Melaka State EXCO for tourism Datuk Amid Nordin and the Deputy EXCO for tourism Datuk Chua Peng Siong not part of the delegation?;

  5. Why are Datuk Poh Ah Tiam’s wife, Datuk Mohd Ali’s school-going children listed as official delegates even though they are below 21 years of age?; dan

  6. What is the necessity of spending RM 1 million and the type of long-tem benefits to the people of Melaka, apart from the short-term benefits to the 23 member delegation who enjoyed the trip?


Datuk Mohd Ali has said that he supports the idea of moral snoops as he has always encouraged people to report wrongdoing. Then why is he so afraid of those who reports political wrongdoing. Apart from moral wrongdoing, he should also be interested in political wrongdoing such as abusing power and misusing public funds for a wasteful junket (makan angin) around the world. 

DAP wishes to advise Datuk Mohd Ali not to waste time and effort conducting a full enquiry in his office as to how I got a copy of the itinerary of his trip around the world. I wish to remind him that there are also political snoops or political Mat Skodeng who report political wrongdoings and abuse of power by Datuk Mohd Ali’s administration. 

To date I have not met a single member of the public who feels that this RM 1 million is justified. There is something very wrong if Datuk Mohd Ali thinks that it is not wrong to use RM 1 million in public funds for a “holiday” but a greater wrong to report such wrongdoings.

(20/1/2005)

* Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary-General