KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has again reiterated that there is no conflict of interest in having private guests joining his official visits abroad.

Responding to accusations by a civil group, Anwar today called on the public to not fall for slander that there may be quid pro quo demanded by the private sector.

"I did not use private company funds. The government used Malaysia Airlines flights for visits to four countries at a cost of RM1.6 million. This was fully covered by government funds.

"The remaining seats were offered to private companies that were already planning to visit those countries for investment or joint venture purposes. These companies paid their own costs, amounting to RM4.5 million.”

As a result, Anwar said the cost borne by the government was just RM1.6 million — compared to RM2.5 million it would have spent if the government had used its private jet.

"Let me reiterate, the government did not use private company funds. There is no conflict of interest. Do not fall for the slander of these ‘zaman edan’,” he added.

Anwar had previously used the Malay phrase on Saturday, roughly meaning "half-crazed or crazy era”, when describing some reactions towards this disclosure.

He had then slammed critics of his administration’s efforts to attract investments, describing their accusations as baseless.

Anwar said he was astonished that his disclosure of the travels were blasted, saying the reaction was reflective of a "crazy era” where wrongdoers are glorified, while clean and transparent initiatives are condemned.

He also said those who joined the delegation are private companies with the potential to invest or explore investment opportunities, such as Proton, Petronas, Yinson, Sapura Energy, and semiconductor companies.