SINTOK: The son of the late Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub today claimed that his father had paid millions of ringgit to lobbyists to arrange for a meeting with the then United States President George W. Bush in 2002.
Datuk Megat Fairouz Junaidi claimed that his father had met several people and paid several lobbyists, upon receiving an instruction from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to arrange for the meeting.
Megat Fairouz said his father received the instruction from Dr Mahathir in April 2001 with the intention to boost the former prime minister's image among the US administration.
He said Dr Mahathir's image was tarnished especially after the unpleasant statement made by the then US vice-president Al Gore during a dinner held in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit held Putra World Trade Centre in November 1998.
In the speech, Gore reportedly rebuked the Malaysian government for allegedly suppressing freedom and praised those who had rallied against Dr Mahathir's administration following the sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from the post of deputy prime minister, back then.
"As far as I am concern, my late father was instructed to set up a meeting between Tun Dr Mahathir and the US president since 2001.
"Following the instruction, my late father met several quarters and paid a sum of money to lobbyists in a bid to secure the meeting which eventually took place on May 2002," he said when asked to comment on a statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib that the former premier's meeting with former US president in 2002 was arranged by a lobbyist.
Asked on the sum of money paid to the lobbyists, Megat Fairouz said he was not informed by his father the exact amount, but he claimed that it cost millions of ringgit.
Megat Fairouz's statement came less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak hit out at Dr Mahathir for paying millions of ringgit to a Hong Kong-based lobbyist to set a meeting with George W. Bush.
He was quoted as saying that the lobbyist was paid with the award of a lucrative project, which he and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, were aware of.
Despite spending millions of ringgit, Najib said the former prime minister was not accorded the warm reception that he had received from President Donald Trump.
Najib made the statement yesterday evening upon his arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after his returned from the United States.
He chided the former prime minister for not getting the exceptional reception that he had received from Trump on Monday, despite Mahathir spending millions to meet Bush.
He also took a dig at Dr Mahathir for criticising the Employees Provident Fund's proposal to expand its investment in the United States.
Najib said Dr Mahathir had went against his own words in 2005 when he said the EPF should invest more abroad to secure higher investment yields.
He also explained that the Malaysia Airlines' purchases of new Boeing aircraft was the airline's own decision, adding that it was made last year.
The prime minister also denied that his visit to the US was not to beg but rather, to convey a message to Washington that Malaysia is a global player.
Meanwhile, a reliable source told the New Straits Times that the money was also paid to a Washington-based lobbyist.
The source claimed that he was present with Megat Junid during a dinner at Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington during Dr Mahathir's visit.
The source claimed that Bush had refused to meet Dr Mahathir the next day after he made sarcastic remarks on Israel during his speech at a dinner held at the hotel.
He claimed that it was not until the last minute that Bush was finally willing to meet Dr Mahathir after the lobbyist pushed for the meeting.