KUALA LUMPUR: The government paid a unit of public relations consultants Apco Worldwide a hefty RM77 million for services rendered from July 15, 2009 to June 4, 2010, the Dewan Rakyat was told on Tuesday, April 13.

The sum was revealed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz in a written reply to Tian Chua (Batu-PKR).

Nazri said the payments to the Apco unit, Syarikat Mind Teams Sdn Bhd, were made for two categories of services — public affairs and government affairs services, and strategic communications, public relations and press outreach.

“For public affairs services, US$640,000 (RM2.07 million) was paid to Mind Teams for services provided between July 15, 2009 and Jan 15, 2010.

“Another US$640,000 were paid for services rendered between January 15, 2010 and July 15, 2010,” said Nazri.

A sum of US$11,853,579 was paid for strategic communications from June 3, 2009 to Dec 2, 2009, he said.

“A further sum of US$11,273,579 was paid for the same services rendered between Dec 3, 2009 to June 4, 2010,” said Nazri.

Tian Chua had asked the government for a breakdown of the payments made to Apco during the debate on the Supplementary Supply Bill 2009 for the prime minister’s department last week.

Opposition MPs have been harping on the government’s engagement of Apco, pointing out that the company had links with the Israeli government.

Several former Israeli government officials, including the former head of the division of protection and security of the Israeli Security Agency major-general Doron Bergerbest-Eilon, Bergerbest-Eilon, Ittamar Rabinovich and Shimon Stein now sit on Apco’s international advisory panel.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Permatang Pauh-PKR) has claimed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia campaign had been borrowed from the One Israel concept adopted by former Israel prime minister Ehud Barak in 1992. Apco has denied being involved with the public relations campaign for the One Israel concept, contrary to Anwar's assertion.

Anwar faces a government motion on April 22 to refer him to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee for linking 1Malaysia to One Israel.

The opposition had also alleged that the company's clients had included former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and President-for-life of Kazakhstan Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev.