A PAS parliamentarian has questioned the steady rise in government spending on the annual Aidilfitri open house at Seri Perdana since 2009.

Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar said the prime minister and his cabinet should not be spending lavishly when the cost of living is so high for ordinary people.

Mahfuz, who is also PAS information chief, said expenditure on the event has gone up from RM1.71 million in 2009 to RM2.07 million (2010), RM1.69 million (2011), RM2.83 million (2012) and RM2.88 million (last year).

“What is the justification for this and what is the quality of the food obtained by the government or the Prime Minister's Department?” he asked.

“Why is the cost so high? Shouldn't we reduce the quantity or price of the food or look for other suppliers who can provide cheaper food?”

He was commenting on a written parliamentary reply from Shahidan Kassim,  Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, who had provided the details.

Shahidan also said that Malaysians of all races, foreign tourists, dignitaries, ambassadors, corporate personalities and heads of department attend the event.