Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya paid an excess of RM109 million — for a private jet for the prime minister’s use — from Jet Premier One (M) Sdn Bhd (JPO), a private company that acquired the aircraft from Air Luther AG, PKR secretary-general Mohd Rafizi Ramli said yesterday.

Rafizi said the amount was derived from the current market value of the ACJ320 compared with the price the Malaysian government paid to JPO.

“JPO sold the ACJ320 at a hire purchase price, causing Putrajaya to pay a higher price than the cost it would incur if it had bought the jet itself without JPO,” he said at a press conference at the parliament lobby yesterday.

“Not only was the purchase of the jet wasteful, it was also made at a cost way higher than the maximum value of the aircraft. Based on my calculation, the government of Malaysia paid RM109 million more than the actual price.”

Rafizi revealed last week that Putrajaya ordered a new private aircraft for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s use, which was later confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office, that said the ACJ320 was purchased to replace the 16-year-old Boeing business jet.

Rafizi said last week that the new purchase brings the tally to seven aircraft owned by the government.

Sungai Petani member of parliament (MP) Datuk Johari Abdul said yesterday that it was unacceptable for the government to have bought the jet at a marked-up price at a time when the people were upset over the increasing prices of goods and the impending goods and services tax.

“This is like double jeopardy ... when the people are suffering, they buy a jet and on top of that, they buy it at a marked-up price,” he added.

Rafizi said that he would reveal the owner of JPO, the company that bought the jet from Air Luther and sold it to the government, at a press conference today.

The Pandan MP revealed yesterday that Putrajaya spent US$8 million (RM29.44 million) to upgrade the recently-purchased private jet for the use of Najib and his family.

“The US$8 million was included in the sale price — which was the base of the hire purchase price of RM465 million — that was borne by the Malaysian government,” he said. — The Malaysian Insider

 

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 25, 2015.

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