Singapore don't have APCO and yet I'm very sure they'll be welcomed to meet Obama for FREE. I remember Mahathir administration paid RM2 million to meet Bush.
KNNCCB!!!
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In a written reply to Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) to his query on the fees paid to Apco, the amount provided by Nazri is more than twice what was earlier reported.Chua referred to a newspaper report which quoted Nazri as saying that the amount paid to Apco was RM28 million.
"Convert this to ringgit and you will get almost RM77 million," he said based on last year's currency exchange rate.
"I don't know whether he was mistaken or his conversion rate of ringgit to US dollars is different. Maybe he thinks that the Malaysian ringgit is still strong, almost on one to one with the dollar?"
Chua also expressed his disbelief that much money is being paid to a foreign contractor for a task which could have been performed by a local company.
He said that the RM77 million contract was for one year.
"Are Apco's services so special that we need to pay so much? Why wasn't a local company employed? I am sure there are local firms that can do the job."
Nazri: Apco a bridge between Malaysia and US
Nazri (below) explained later today that Apco was hired to help strengthen ties between Malaysia and US. 
He said that the government hired the company to not only improve the government's image but also to "get close to the US".
Speaking in his office in Parliament, he refuted Tian Chua's claim that local firms could do the job.
"In US, there is the lobby culture. That is normal, every country who wants to be close to US has to resort to lobbying. You think a local company can do that for us?" he countered.
Nazri then said the Jewish Americans were the biggest lobbyists.
"So if we want to lobby for something in the US adminstration, do you think that we can succeed if we use an Islamic company?" 
Nazri went on to illustrate what made Apco worth the millions that the government paid for its services.
"Our prime minister is meeting Obama and some prominent US leaders. (Making it happen) is no easy task," he said, adding that during his own trip to US in February he was able to see the people that he wanted.
Dictators use the best
Nazri also responded to the opposition's call for the government to terminate contracts with Apco as they were also engaged by countries ruled by "dictators".
"Dictators with money will only use the best," he explained, adding that the same applied to the services of veteran opposition strongman Karpal Singh, a lawyer who had represented murderers and drug traffickers.
“If you are using Karpal's legal service, it does not mean that you are also a murderer. It just means he is a good lawyer. Similarly we use Apco because it is good. So what is wrong with using Apco?"
Further, Nazri explained that it is time that Malaysia strengthened its ties with US now especially with the prime minister's recent support for economic liberalisation.
"The government is making more effort to make up for the 28 years of "not so good" foreign policies under the reign of the two former prime ministers."
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