Jetting the VVIP jet

On Monday March 16, PKR’s Rafizi Ramli revealed the government has commissioned a new private jet for the use of the PM.

The news headline, at least on online media – “PM has just ordered another private jet claim” or “Putrajaya has ordered new private jet for PM, says Rafizi” – were attractive enough, wouldn’t you agree?

The new ACJ320 jet, says Rafizi, is more expensive compared with the ACJ319 used previously. This will be the seventh government executive jet in its fleet.

To Rafizi, this “was proof that the government was still perpetuating wastage at a time when it is coming under increasing pressure on the rising debts of 1MDB”.

Later in the day (and in was late in the day), the PM’s office issued a statement clarifying the “Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ320 ) was purchased to replace the 16-year-old BBJ or Boeing Business Jet”. The BBJ, says the PMO, “would be disposed of to finance the new purchase”.

The PMO also says “talks to replace the BBJ were initiated two years ago”. It, however, did not say when the purchased was made. Whatever it is, the PMO statement was only issued after the “noise” made by Rafizi.

Anyway, that was that. Supposedly or regardless if one agrees with what Rafizi said or how the PMO clarified it (although Rafizi still have plenty to say about the issue).  

Open and shut. Well, not really. Considering what took place in between i.e. “sandwiched” between Rafizi’s “expose” and the PMO statement.

After the PKR man’s revelation was carried by the online media,  pro-Umno blog – MyKMU.net – came up with a posting defending the government’s purchase.

Maintaining the same line as the PMO i.e. the decision to buy the aircraft was “to replace the ailing BBJ VVIP jet that was almost 20 years old and cost more to maintain”. Only thing is the blog came out with that before the PMO.

Quoting “government sources”, the blog says “ this is the first time since (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak became PM that he has decided to switch to a new jet”, going on to say “the PM is not the only VVIP as there are also the King and Malay rulers who have the right to use a government jet”.

Meaning the blog “clarified” the issue on behalf of the government much earlier than the PMO.

Meaning the blogger or bloggers in quoting government sources can gain “access” to high-level people in the Najib administration and obtain such “vital”  information faster than the PMO.

But before that, moments after Rafizi made the news with his “expose” on March 16 itself , Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin tweeted: “If new govt jet claim untrue, dispel quickly before fiction passes itself as fact. If true, explanation needed ASAP”.

Meaning Khairy wasn’t sure if what was revealed by Rafizi was true or false.

Now that the “claim” was proven true and not fiction as confirmed by the PMO itself, can the minister’s tweet be taken to mean he was not aware of the purchase?

Can it mean that Khairy is saying such a big purchase by the government was not discussed in the Cabinet which he himself sits in?

Or it can be seen to mean the purchase was discussed but the sports minister somehow missed it? Perhaps he was away on official duties and did not attend the very Cabinet meeting which discussed the purchase?

But then there’s something called Cabinet papers are there not?

Meaning… enough of this meaning meaning thing. – March 18, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.