If BN can pay Apco, Pakatan can pay teachers

Pakatan Rakyat has defended its proposal to provide a RM500 special monthly allowance for those in the education service in an effort to reform the education sector. 

In a statement today, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said the formula to achieve this was by simply doing away with the BN administration's excesses.

Anwar explained, saying, "For example, the cost for the prime minister's international trips so far (RM8.7 million) could have paid for the special allowance for 1,450 teachers. Payments of RM77 million made to Apco Worldwide for 2009 can pay for the special allowance for 12,800 teaching personnel, equivalent to the total workforce entrusted to train our teachers."