The Kuala Selangor MP from Amanah said he was anticipating floods to hit his constituency and would be needed to coordinate rescue efforts if it happened.

“I don’t have other details of the (PSC’s) trip,” he told FMT.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said the PSC on health, science and innovation, which he chairs, was travelling to New Zealand to exchange knowledge on Covid-19 management and tobacco control.

Yii said his team will be meeting New Zealand’s health and science ministers and other officials.

Apart from Yii and Dzulkefly, the other members of the PSC are Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (Baling), Bung Moktar Radin (Kinabatangan), Redzuan Yusof (Alor Gajah), Lukanisman Awang Sauni (Sibuti), Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (Dungun), Dr Lee Boon Chye (Gopeng) and Yeo Bee Yin (Bakri).

According to another MP, who asked to remain anonymous, all PSCs are allocated RM1 million for working trips.

Consumers’ Association of Penang president Mohideen Abdul Kader expressed disgust at the PSC’s decision to spend public funds for the trip at a time when people were struggling to survive.

“I don’t understand the logic behind the decision to go on a costly study trip when the government has issued orders to cut expenditure. There is no urgency for the visit,” he told FMT.

Mohideen also chided the government and MPs for expecting the public to tighten their belts while they travelled at the people’s expense.

FMT has reached out to Yii and other members of the PSC for comment.

In July, the Treasury issued a slew of cost-cutting measures for civil servants at all levels in a move to tighten government expenditure, citing the pressure of global inflation and rising cost of goods.