Politicians can indulge in better things instead of going abroad to watch a belly-dancing performance, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today.

The premier made this remark when asked to comment on two recent controversial 'junkets' organised by the Malacca and Selangor state governments respectively.

Abdullah, who was apparently in the dark over the controversial trips, appeared evasive in commenting despite being briefed on the matter by malaysiakini at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

When pressed for comment, he ticked off the Selangor Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for planning the Egypt trip, which was cancelled at the eleventh-hour.

"I am very surprised they arranged such an overseas visit which also includes a belly-dancing programme. If they want to watch belly dancing, no need to go-lah. We have many better things to do," he said.

However, the premier did not respond to a question on his views of a state- government sponsored trip to the United States and Dubai by senior Malacca officials.

Selangor trip

The Selangor PAC - a committee responsible for oversight on public spending and to identify financial irregularities - had planned an eight-day trip to Egypt.

The 12-member group, comprising mostly of state assembly representatives and their spouses, were supposed to leave on Jan 22.

The trip was purportedly for PAC members to learn about the financial system in Egypt. Also slated were visits to the Egyptian Parliament, Malaysian embassy and a meeting with Malaysian students studying in Cairo.

Apart from visits to tourist sites, the itinerary also included a cruise along the Nile river which features a belly-dancing performance.

The trip was called off on Saturday after the withdrawal of an opposition PAC member, who claimed it was a waste of taxpayers' money. Some of his peers had defended the trip as purely 'educational'.

Malacca trip

As for the trip organised by the Malacca state government, 23 people, including the chief minister Mohd Ali Rustam, state officials and their spouses, had travelled to the US and Dubai for two weeks.

Other notable personalities in the delegation were Malacca governor Khalil Yaakob, state secretary Ahmad Rusli Joharie and exco member Poh Ah Tiam.

The chief minister's three school-going children were also named as 'official delegates' on the itinerary.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who exposed the 'junket', estimated that it cost RM60,000 per person, bringing the total to RM1 million.

Throughout the visit, the delegation only had one confirmed official function while the rest were visits to tourist spots.

The group also arranged to spend two and half days in Dubai for sight-seeing despite no official function scheduled there.

On another matter, Abdullah was asked about the controversial raid by enforcement officers from the Federal Territory Department of Religious Affairs (Jawi) on 100 Muslim patrons of a popular nightclub last week.

"The matter is being investigated by the attorney-general," he said, referring to the reports made by irate parents of those detained.