I was really annoyed by the fact that I as the Opposition Leader had never received any official notification. And this was not the first time it had ever happened. I made an effort to see the Staten Assembly Secretary and Speaker about this and expressed my unhappiness in a polite way.

I got my letter of notification about the trip to Scandinavian yesterday by hand when I requested it at the Speaker's office. What is so secretive about the trip? All 46 members of the State Assembly are entiltled to the sight seeing tour after accordingly all of us have worked so hard for the rakyat. 

The trip  would cost RM 13,000 (Twin Sharing Room) or RM16,000 (Single Room) for each SA and in total  would cost Johor State Treasury at least between RM 500,000 and RM 700,000 if all SAs decide to go on the trip. Is it worth it in the midst of economic downturn and Johor State Government's whooping RM 1 billion debt.

That amount of tour expenses would account for 50-70% of Johor Government's 2010 Budget surplus according to Government's prediction and if that is ever going to happen.

DAP Johor and PAS Johor (as in the moment PKR has no SAs in Johor yet) jointly made the decision that all Pakatan Rakyat  SAs shall go on the tour on individual's pocket money without burdening the  State Treasury. That is to set a good example of spending tax payers' money wisely and thriftily.