APCO : RM 76+ million per year contract

The STAR report :
Wednesday April 14, 2010
Apco’s unit to be paid RM76.8mil

BY July, the Government would have paid Apco Worldwide Sdn Bhd’s subsidiary Mind Teams RM76.8mil for work done from last June.
In a written reply, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told Tian Chua (PKR – Batu) that the payment was for services in public affairs, government affairs services and strategic communications, public relations and press outreach.
He said the contract for public affairs and government affairs services was from July 15 last year to Jan 15. It costs RM1.3mil plus RM387,000 in other claims.
“The contract was extended until July 15 with the same amount of payment for the service,” he said.

The $$$ paid is mind-boggling when I read this. This is the amount contracted to be paid and does not even covers the 1Malaysia concept and promotion.  As  a taxpayer I want to know the actual breakdown of these payments. Till today what do we know ?? Just a brief  summary : Public Affairs and government services - US$540000 and Strategic communications, public reactions and press outreach US$11,273,579 giving a total of US$24.2 million ( RM 76.8 million )

Anwar had been lambasting on the APCO-Israel connection - I feel he should spend more time questioning the government for details of this contract.

Apr 15 The STAR reported : " MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz stood his ground for nearly an hour against the Opposition as they threw a barrage of questions and accusations on the Government’s payment to Apco Worldwide.
However, the seasoned MP had the last laugh when in a parting shot, he told the House that even Opposition MPs would lobby for a chance to meet the head of the United States’ Senate.
“This is an honour. Don’t have malicious feelings. You try and see if you won’t lobby to meet for, an example, the majority leader of the (United States’) Senate. "

Nazri said  Apco was bridge between Malaysia and USA and that  Apco was hired to help strengthen ties between Malaysia and the USA. Due to  the lobby culture in USA, 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?"

So our PM has to pay a vast sum of money thro APCO to some US lobbyists just for our PM to meet Obama ?? This sounds like "corruption " isn't it - paying someone in the USA whoever it is just to fix-up such a meetup ? I also find it amusing that now our government is willing to work with the Jews for such a purpose. All of us  know how powerful the Jewish influence is in  US politics and it is because of this influence, Israel is so well supported by USA.

And to date, do hear of any protests from UMNO, PAS  or any religious NGO's about this using the Jewish connection ???