So much for your 'good governance', Islamic finance expert slams Anwar over helicopter rides

Anwar Ibrahim's remarks defending his use of the government's assets, including travelling for election campaigning using a helicopter, have been criticised by a senior academic, who said the prime minister's behaviour was the opposite of whatever he had said about good governance.

Aznan Hasan, a former head of the Islamic Law Department at the International Islamic University who is part of the Securities Commission's shariah advisory board, was responding to Anwar's speech in Sik, Kedah, recently, where he arrived at several ceramah events using a government helicopter.

Anwar had hit out at critics, saying it was his right as prime minister to travel using government facilities.

"They get angry about Anwar riding in a helicopter. Yes, I boarded a government helicopter for VIPs, you know? Why are you hurt? This is the government's, not mine.

"But you can't use it; the prime minister can," he told a programme at a Felda settlement.

Aznan said the criticism over his use of a government helicopter was not because people were hurt.

"It's not because they were hurt by your use of helicopters. They're criticising because, in the past, you were famous for the slogan 'good governance' and often attacked the government at that time, which you accused of misusing government assets to campaign.

"You also attacked them for allegedly misusing official government programmes for campaigning," Aznan said in a Facebook post that has since gone viral.

"Now, whatever you attacked them for, you, too, are doing it. At least they didn't use helicopters. You're not only using a helicopter; you also go around campaigning at official government programmes," he added.

Aznan also hit out at those who had attacked past administrations over the use of public assets during elections, only to now keep their silence over the same actions by Anwar.

"It seems that all your 'good governance' talk before this only applied to others but not to you. That's what people are questioning, not out of envy. People are judging."

Earlier, a lawyer said Anwar's defence of his use of a government helicopter to attend campaign events smacked of "arrogance".

Rafique Rashid reminded Anwar that he was only entitled to use the helicopter in his capacity as prime minister.

But he said Anwar had been using the same type of transport nearly every day to tour the six states facing elections on Aug 12.

"The cost is borne by the people, but the one that benefits is the party led by PM10," Rafique told MalaysiaNow.

"Why has there been no rebuke from the other coalition parties?"

In a similar tone, electoral reform group Bersih also chided the prime minister with a reminder to politicians to be humble.

"Arrogant and haughty attitudes such as those shown by the prime minister might backfire because the people will not agree with the misuse of government machinery for campaigning," it said.