Yoursay: Azmin has some explaining to do on his travel bills

YOURSAY | 'How can we trust Azmin to handle the country's economy when he can't even handle his own travel bills?'

RM329k suit: Azmin vows to settle outstanding travel bills

Lord Denning: YHA Travel & Tours (M) Sdn Bhd is suing Economic Affairs Minister Mohd Azmin Ali because he apparently did not pay them even after two letters of demand.

Why is it only now, after the entire matter has gone public, that Azmin is asking his officers to check on the non-payment?

And what does he mean by referring to the ministry officers as “my officers”.

They are kakitangan kerajaan (government staff) who serve the public and are not there to check Azmin’s private travel claims for family holidays and for visiting Sandakan, which was a private party matter.

Siva 1967: It is astonishing that Azmin’s personal and family trips in the space of one year (from September 2018 to August 2019) cost RM328,901.

I sincerely hope there was a clear line between personal travel, party-related travel and ministry-related travel.

The Malaysian taxpayers should not be made to foot the travel bill to Sandakan since it was for a by-election campaigning programme, which was a party matter.

Anonymous 1399778124: If Azmin cannot even be trusted to pay his bills on time, I will not keep my hopes high on his ability to aid the recovery of the Malaysian economy.

Does Azmin think he can throw his weight and refuse to pay a business for services rendered just because he is a federal minister? He should not forget that he is nothing but a public servant.

I feel there are ministers like Azmin who spend huge sums for holidays and fail to realise how difficult it is for ordinary people on the street to make a decent living in the current economic situation.

Anonymous 2475091498015598: First, he was in the headlines for the sex video scandal and now, Azmin is embroiled in the travel agent scandal.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s ability and luck in picking his successors seem to always end in disaster.

For once, Mahathir should listen to the people and select their choice, PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, as his successor.

Compared to Azmin, Anwar is a safer bet and deserving person to become prime minister because of his leadership qualities and the hardship he went through over the last two decades.

Unspin: In the next cabinet reshuffle, whether it is done by Mahathir or Anwar, one of the ministers who should be replaced is Azmin.

His Economic Affairs Ministry is tasked with the re-engineering of the country’s wealth distribution policies, in particular, the B40 (bottom 40 percent) segment.

If it was not for the travel agent’s lawsuit, the public would not know that Azmin spends quite a bit of time, and a huge sum of money, travelling.

Anonymous 1537050742: How can we trust a person like Azmin to handle the country's economic affairs when he can't even handle his personal travel bills of RM328,901?

It looks like Mahathir has made another error in judgment by handpicking an apparently unworthy character to succeed him.

MS: Azmin’s spending pattern and style, as exposed by the Sarawak Report, appears similar to the alleged exploits of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.

So will MACC Chief Commissioner Latheefa Koya take action or ignore all that's been reported so far?

Or will Mahathir say it is all fake news, just like how he swiftly dismissed the Sandakan sex video?

Odysseus: Azmin needs to disclose who is the alleged third party settling his and his family’s travel and holiday bills in the past, and why is the third party sponsoring the bill.

Assuming the amount settled is around the RM328,901 which he owes the travel agent, his former Selangor menteri besar salary or current minister’s pay alone would not have been enough to cover the travelling costs.

Anonymouss: Political leaders indulging in a lifestyle beyond their means is a risk to the people.

We have seen this during the BN administration, especially with leaders living a high life and engaging in corruption to sustain their craving for luxury.

In this case, the person is a senior minister and oversees the very powerful portfolio of economic affairs.

Kawak: Azmin is setting a very bad example by ignoring the demand for payment from his travel agent.

The country’s leaders need to be sincere and trustworthy when dealing with their personal financial transactions. It is shameful to react only when the creditor takes legal proceedings.

Mafeeah: Even after receiving the letter of demand from his long-time travel agent, YHA Travel & Tours, which was taking him to court over outstanding payments, Azmin did not respond.

And now he has no choice but to face the problem only after the matter became public. Why does Azmin need to drag himself through the mud and tarnish his reputation?

Lionking: So, Azmin did not bother to verify when the travel agent was following up for the payment.

It is shameful for a public figure and a minister with an important portfolio like Azmin, to be giving petty excuses after repeatedly refusing to pay the amount owed.

Social Element: If someone of high standing was embroiled in such a scandal in another country, the person would resign or be told to step down.

But in Malaysia, Azmin remains a would-be prime minister. This is the sad reality in the country.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.