If Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam has hoped that the uproar over the controversial trip to Egypt by the Selangor state government would divert attention from a similar jaunt organised by his own government, there is no such luck.

The opposition today turned up the heat on the two-week 'holiday' early this month which took the 23-member delegation to Hawaii, San Antonio and Houston in Texas, Miami in Florida and Dubai.

The tour, which included Mohd Ali and Malacca governor Khalil Yaacob, kicked off on Jan 4 and ended yesterday.

Other members of the trip are the duo's wives, state secretary Ahmad Rusli Joharie, exco member Poh Ah Tiam and Mohd Ali's three school-going children.

Also on the delegation are other state government officials, two contractors undertaking the RM92 million Melaka River beautification project and two reporters from national news agency Bernama.

Reveal the cost

DAP leader Lim Guan Eng today demanded Mohd Ali to reveal the cost of the trip and why the chief minister's children were listed as official delegates.

Lim has estimated the trip to cost about RM60,000 per head, or more than RM1 million for the whole group.

According to the itinerary, the delegation visited Hawaii's Pearl Harbour, Waikiki beach, Hanauma Bay Lookout and one of the island's most famous landmark, the Diamond Head.

Later, the group proceeded to tour the San Antonio riverwalk, New Orleans' French Quarters and Millionaires Row, Miami's Everglades National Park.

In Dubai, part of the itinerary included Dubai Internet City, Media City and Palm Island.

"Is this not a holiday disguised as a working visit when there are only official appointments on three days out of 15 days, with the remaining 12 days being taken up by sight-seeing and shopping?" asked Lim.

Throughout the 'working visit', the delegation only has one confirmed official function with the Lt Governor of the Hawaii state, James R Alona Jr.

"Instead of a direct flight back to Malaysia, the delegation had instead transit at Dubai and spend about two and half days although no official function is scheduled," decried Lim.

Frequent flyer

In addition, the itinerary had Mohd Ali returning to Malaysia in the middle of the trip to attend a Malacca function officiated by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, only to fly to Dubai to rejoin the group five days later.

Mohd Ali had defended the trip, arguing that it would benefit the people of Malacca and tourism in the state in the long run.

He said the Melaka River could follow the example of San Antonio's rivers which attracted 13 million visitors yearly and that Hawaii had offered its expertise in the rehabilitation and redevelopment of beaches.

"The cost for the children was borne by me... I would not use the government's money to pay for them," he added.

Lim is not satisfied with Mohd Ali's answers.

"Such an explanation is unacceptable because he refuses to account important questions of public interest," he said.

"If this trip is intended to promote tourism, why are both Malacca's state exco for tourism Amid Nordin and deputy exco for tourism Chua Peng Siong not part of the delegation?"

To go or not to go?

Meanwhile, it is confirmed that the controversial 'educational field trip' to Egypt organised by Selangor government's Public Accounts Committee will proceed despite the furore it had sparked.

The group is due to leave for the eight-day trip this Saturday.

The 12-member group, consisting mostly state assembly representatives and their wives, was purportedly for PAC members to learn about financial systems in Egypt, and included a two-hour visit to the Egyptian Parliament, a three-hour visit to the Malaysian embassy and a meeting with Malaysian students studying in Cairo.

However, the itinerary allocated more time for such diversions as a belly-dance dinner show on a cruise along the River Nile, visits to the pyramids, Sphinx, Suez Canal, Moses' hot springs, and shopping.

It is believed that changes have been made to the programme, which included the cancellation of the Nile belly-dance dinner show.