By Syauqi Jamil
KUALA LUMPUR: Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook today walked the talk of Pakatan Harapan’s no gift policy when he rejected a gift given to him after officiating a ceremony.
Rejecting a mobile phone where he assumed to cost more than RM500, Loke then reminded all future event organizers that the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) government do not need such form of appreciation when they officiate events.
“Just now at the end of the ceremony, I was given a token of appreciation. Just want to stress that we don’t need such appreciation in the future.”
“I have to reject that gift because I’m sure its more than RM500 in terms of value. The new governement, all ministers walk the talk.”
“A word to all future event organizers, please take note that this a new regulation by the government. If you want to invite me to future functions, we’ll attend but we don’t need any gifts,” he said a press conference.
Loke earlier launched diffride, the latest player in the e-hailing services industry which currently operates in the Klang Valley region.
After the event, Loke was given a token of appreciation in the form of a Huawei P20 phone, which market value currently sits at RM2899.
He was quick to politely decline the gift saying that he cannot accept it as he is sure that it valued more than RM500.
The organisers then had requested Loke to loan the phone from them and use it to access the diffride application to call for a diffride driver, to which he obliged.
On June 8, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Ministers will no longer be able to accept gifts under a new policy put in place by the PH government.
