Di Bangkok pun Najib pukoi golf & shopping sakan...

Laporan akhbar Thailand, The Bangkok Post menyebut bahawa lawatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak ke ibu negara jiran itu pada hujung minggu lalu adalah “lawatan peribadi” untuk berehat dan beriadah.

Laporan memetik sumber yang dekat dengan rakan sejawat Najib, General Prayut Chan-o-cha yang menyebut bahawa lawatan berkenaan bukan kunjungan rasmi.

Menurut sumber tersebut, Najib dan isteri, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor “pergi membeli-belah, bermain golf dan menginap di Hotel Shangri-La” semasa lawatan ke Thailand pada 2 Januari.

Najib bagaimanapun membuat “perbincangan tidak rasmi” dengan Prayut selama 90 minit di kediaman jeneral terbabit.

“Perdana menteri Malaysia terpaksa menulis twit bahawa beliau makan tengahari dengan Jeneral Prayut untuk menyatakan perhargaan kepada Thailad kerana menderma 500 tan beras untuk membantu mangsa banjir Malaysia dan bertukar pandangan mengenai penyelesaian masalah banjir dan pemulihan.

“Ini dilihat sebagai usaha untuk mengelakkan kritikan mengenai kunjungannya. Thailand tidak mendedahkan berita mengenai kunjungannya ini kerana ingin menjaga tertib memandangkan beliau bercuti di sini,” kata sumber tersebut seperti dikutip The Bangkok Post.

Kehadirannya di Thailand bagi tujuan tersebut, dan juga kemunculan Rosmah di negara berkenaan menimbulkan persoalan mengenai penggunaan jet Malaysia - pesawat Airbus A319 dengan tanda panggilan 9M-NAA.

Najib dan anggota keluarganya berlepas ke Hawaii dengan pesawat tersebut pada 20 Disember.

Beliau seterusnya bergegas pulang ke Malaysia apabila timbul kritikan meluas mengenai percutian dan permainan golf dengan Presiden Amerika Syarikat, Barack Obama ketika tanah air dilanda bencana banjir buruk.

Najib dilaporkan menaiki pesawat komersial dari AS ke Hong Kong dan kemudiannya dijemput dengan sebuah lagi pesawat kerajaan – dan seterusnya mendarat di Kelantan, negeri yang paling teruk terjejas akibat banjir pada 27 Disember.

Sementara itu, pesawat Airbus A319 yang digunakannya ke AS itu dikesan membuat persinggahan di beberapa lapangan terbang di Los Angeles, Indianapolis, New York, London, Dubai dan Bangkok.

Pesawat itu mendarat di Bangkok pada hari Ahad lalu.

Pejabat Perdana Menteri menjelaskan bahawa pesawat tersebut tidak digunakan oleh keluarga Najib tetapi mengalami masalah teknikal.

PMO bagaimanapun tidak menjelaskan mengenai persinggahan di bandar-bandar utama tersebut, sehingga tiba di KLIA dari Bangkok.- mk

So it was golfing and shopping in Thailand after all...

The Bangkok Post has put to rest the endless speculation surrounding our prime minister and his wife by reporting that the couple was indeed in Thailand recently on a private New Year’s vacation and to meet with General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Quoting a source close to General Prayut, the paper said on Tuesday that Najib Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor made the trip to Thailand on January 2, where they shopped, played golf and stayed the night at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok.

The source also said the trip was kept under wraps on account of etiquette as it was of a private nature.

The paper also disclosed that Najib lunched with Prayut at the general’s residence in Kesakomol where the two discussed a variety of issues including that of dual citizens and border crossings by Malaysian vans into Thailand.

“The Malaysian prime minister had to tweet that he had lunch with Gen Prayut to thank Thailand for donating 500 tonnes of rice to help flood-hit Malaysian victims and to exchange views on flood solving and restoration.

“This is seen as trying to avoid criticism about his trip. Thailand did not disclose news about his visit for etiquette reasons as he went to holiday here” added the source.

Najib and Rosmah have been under intense scrutiny and criticism in light of the devastating floods in Malaysia as neither was present to help deal with the national crisis until much later.

Najib was also accused of sneaking off to play golf with US President Barack Obama until a Washington Post photograph of him and Obama on the greens forced Najib to explain it away as merely “golfing diplomacy”.

Cutting short his Hawaii trip all the same, criticism reached new heights when the focus turned to Rosmah instead, with many questioning her absence in the country and that of the government jet.

Photos of a woman resembling Rosmah shopping in upmarket Bangkok Central Chidlom Mall later surfaced online, with many stating their disbelief that the first lady was not by her husband’s side delivering aid or meeting with flood victims back home.- fmt

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