Red faces after cash envelopes given out at government linked event

(The Malaysian Insider) – Reporters and organisers found themselves in an awkward situation when brown envelopes containing cash were given out at a media briefing for the Northern Corridor here today.

Reporters who attended were surprised when officials representing the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) gave them brown envelopes containing cash during the briefing and were asked to sign for it.

The reporters were not informed as to the purpose of the cash envelopes, one of which contained at least RM50, and later returned the envelopes to an NCIA representative, saying that it was against their company policy to accept cash.

When contacted via e-mail, NCIA chief executive Redza Rafiq told The Malaysian Insider that the cash was surplus from the event budget and was given in lieu of a mid-day meal and to help with reporters’ expenses.

“The token that was provided is part of our budget to cover transportation and lunch costs (lunch was supposed to have been provided, but had to be taken out of the agenda due to several last-minute change — we would really like to apologise for this change),” he said.

“The signing is actually to record the attendance based on the list that we have been given earlier.”

Event organisers do sometimes help with parking expenses, normally by validating the parking ticket, but rarely with travel expenses within the city.

If lunch is not provided, organisers normally ask a company representative to accompany reporters to a nearby restaurant where the official will sign for the bill at the end of the meal.