By Shannon Teoh
KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Putrajaya has denied that public funds were used to pay for the engagement dinner of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s daughter as alleged by PKR earlier today.
The Prime Minister’s Office said on micro-blogging site Twitter that it did not cover the cost of Nooryana Najwa’s engagement at the Seri Perdana official residence of the PM last year.
“The engagement bill of PM’s daughter, Nooryana Najwa, was not taken up by the Prime Minister’s Office as alleged by some quarters. The Prime Minister’s Office will issue a statement regarding the allegation soon,” it said this evening.
PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli had showed reporters earlier today a banquet event order from a local hotel as proof of his claim that the prime minister spent RM409,767 on the June 17, 2011 event to celebrate his daughter’s engagement to Daniyar Nazarbayev from Kazakhstan.
This comprised a bill of RM18,792 for 36 VIPs — who were served Wagyu beef and marinated scallops — RM309,975 for 862 guests and RM81,000 for handling costs.
Copies of the purported banquet event order distributed by Rafizi showed that the dinner was charged to the Prime Minister’s Office.
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