Parliamentarian snouts in public trough

The expression “sticking their snouts in the trough” means those people (with the snouts) are enjoying free goodies, made available to them through privileged access (to the ‘trough’).

And “sticking their snouts in the public trough” means the same thing, but with the long suffering taxpayers footing the bill.

Examples of “sticking their snouts in the public trough” would be having a jolly good all-expense paid outing to an exotic place like the North Pole, or Mount Everest, etc, or members of vaious municipal councillors going on all-expense paid ‘study tours’ to examine public housing projects and achievements in European countries (with a totally different weather condition or environment for housing) or China (which has bloody useless public housing) but not to neighbouring Singapore which has probably the best record for public housing.

Then, you could also have state Excos on an all-expense paid trip to study parliamentary procedures in undemocratic dictatorships like, say Egypt, which could include a look at the Egyptian unique culture of belly dancing. I am just waiting to hear about a proposed trip to Tahiti to study coconut and taro (ubi kayu) agriculture while taking in the local culture of Tahitian hula hula grass skirt gyrations.

All paid for by you and me, who have been told to tighten our belts in order to cope with the increased fuel, oil, sugar, toll, you-name-it prices.

Well, according to a Sin Chew Daily report yesterday, since the opening of the new Parliament session last week, a series of ministerial briefings have been held at luxurious 5-star hotels in KL, all complete with door gifts.

For example, each participant to the ministerial briefing by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry received a free mobile phone.

While it is a common practice for ministries and departments to brief BN MPs (eat your hearts out, DAP, PAS and Dr Wan Azizah) when there is a new bill being tabled in Parliament, such events were mostly held in the Parliament House.

But I suppose with so much tax and toll collected in recent times, the government must have decided to upgrade the process of such mundane duties, facilitating those ‘hard working’ BN MPs to stick their snouts further in the public trough.

Afterall it’s all bloody hard work, as demonstrated by the monkey who fatigued himself through posing sexist questions to DAP MP Miss Chong Eng, like asking her whether she would like it ‘hard or soft’ – see my posting Cyclops in Monkey House.

However, to be fair to some other BN backbenchers, who wisely prefer to remain anonymous, they have criticised sub rosa the recent ‘phenomenon’ of holding ministerial briefings in hotels complete with door gifts.

Does ‘recent phenomenon’ mean it’s all happening under the current administration? Damn, now we can’t get to blame Dr Mahathir.

The Sin Chew report which quoted those ‘unnamed’ BN MPs stated the bloody obvious, that the extravagant troughs for greedy snouts were a waste of public money.

They provided examples of our Boleh extravaganza.

A ministry booked 10 tables for the briefing, each of which cost at least RM 1,000. Sometimes at such briegings only a handful of MP turned up. Maybe that’s why door gifts were added to motivate attendance?

Those backbencher whistle-blowers pointed out that the door gifts could have been sponsored by the corporate sector, but the practice was nevertheless ‘inappropriate’, meaning it’s bloody corruption!

The Sin Chew report also featured a letter dated March 21 signed by BN Backbenchers Club acting chief Ahmad Zainuddin Omar informing backbenchers to attend a briefing held at the Seri Pacific Hotel on Tuesday.

The briefing was organised by the Employees Provident Fund (EFP) to explain its move to buy the debt-ridden RHB Bank.

But defiant (and couldn’t care a stuff) BN MP for Pontian Hasni Mohamed defended the move to hold briefings in hotels:

“After a whole day in Parliament, it is important we get a small break and change of environment. I don’t think it involves exorbitant spending.”

“It (the cost) is a small amount compared to the benefit we gain from it (the briefings) because the MPs get a comfortable place to listen to the briefings and gather their thoughts.”

… meaning Parliament was uncomfy, which was not what I heard, about the lavish kueh-mueh's and hot steaming kari kambing kurma with ayam kunyit goreng and various other delicious dishes readily available for more sticking of snouts in the public trough.

But c'mon lah, let’s be fair, Parliament House may not have the char kuat facilities that 5-star hotels have, certainly much needed after “after a whole [damn tiring] day in Parliament” of ‘hard and soft’ issues.

Puchong MP Lau Yen Pheng also averred that the briefings were necessary because they helped backbenchers prepare for their debates in the House. He didn’t explain why that couldn’t be done in a briefing room in Parliament House itself. He advised us that the door gifts were “nothing to worry about.”

Maybe he meant that part wasn’t part of the public trough?

Hmmm, I visualise someone preparing and rehearsing for the parliamentary debate at one of those 5-star hotel (of course after the essential briefings):

Kawan, olang Malaysia dan
saudara (kelas 1 dan ke-2)
oi, pinjam lu punya telinga
boleh ah? Saya ... er ... ah
kiri sedikit, sayang... oooh
ya, ya, itu dia .. uuuh ... best
BEST, amboi sedap lah ... er...
mana saya tadi ... ya ...
aku, ahhhh ya ... aku .. cum ..
cummin' ... ahhhhhhhhhh
... ya ........ sokong menteri,
ya sokong, memang sokong