KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 — Chided for the multi-million-ringgit cost to taxpayers to light up Seri Perdana, Datuk Seri Najib Razak acknowledged today its high energy bill, but pointed out that although he stayed at the prime minister’s official residence, it was not in the main house.

The prime minister added that the mansion in Putrajaya also did double duty as a venue for him to host visiting heads of states.

“The electricity bill for Seri Perdana is high, but it doesn’t belong to me. It is not my house. There is a function room for visiting head of states,” Najib was quoted saying by news portal, Malaysiakini, on the sidelines of a conference here.

He reportedly described himself as the third prime minister to use the official residence more as a “guest”, as Seri Perdana was also used for government events.

“I don’t sleep in the main house. If we need to hold seminars there, it is free as well,” Malaysia’s sixth prime minister said.

Najib added: “When the Chinese president is here, we’re not going to use candlelight. Wouldn’t that be too romantic?”

According to the website of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Seri Perdana Complex is the official residence of the prime minister, located at Persiaran Seri Perdana, Precint 10, Putrajaya.

Seri Perdana was built in 1997 on a 42.5-acre site and includes a main guest salon, a meeting room, a special dining hall and a banquet hall.

China’s President Xi Jinping was in town on an official two-day visit in early October ahead of the 21st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Indonesia.

Putrajaya had last month revealed in Parliament that Seri Perdana’s electricity bills totalled RM2.2 million in 2012.

In a written reply to Seremban MP Anthony Loke in October, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the government paid RM311,174 for the prime minister’s water bills.

Shahidan, who is also Arau MP, told Parliament on November 11 that Seri Perdana’s utility bill was still cheaper than the US’ White House or the UK’s Downing Street, as Malaysia practised a “frugal system”, pointing out that the Prime Minister’s Office — also in Putrajaya — lacks the facilities to host guests, unlike at Seri Perdana.