(Nov 26): Public relations consultant Paul Stadlen was never employed by the government and as such, did not receive any allowance or salary from Putrajaya, a minister told Dewan Rakyat today.

Datuk Seri Azalina Othman in a parliamentary written reply,  said that Datuk Seri Lim Kok Wing was also not paid any salary or allowance during his tenure as special programme coordinator to the prime minister.

Last May, Putrajaya did not give a clear answer on Stadlen's alleged role with the government, with Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim saying that they did not pay any salary to him.

He did not touch on whether Stadlen was part of the team.

Stadlen used to head the Kuala Lumpur office of the international PR firm, Apco Worldwide.

Talks were rife that he was purportedly a member of the Prime Minister's Office communications team.

His alleged presence had led the opposition to demand Putrajaya to disclose details of his hiring.

Lim, meanwhile, quit his position as adviser to Datuk Seri Najib Razak in July.

He reportedly received his letter of appointment earlier this year from principal private secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, Datuk Seri Azlin Alias, who died in April in a helicopter crash which also killed Rompin MP Tan Sri Jamaluddin Jarjis.

The Malaysian Insider reported on May 22 that Lim, who had run Barisan Nasional's election campaigns previously, was made Najib's new public campaign coordinator in a charm offensive to win over Malaysians and shore up Najib's flagging popularity.

The 69-year-old, who is also a popular educationist, was appointed at the height of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, which has seen Najib facing the harshest criticism of his political career with allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds linked to the state-owned investment vehicle.

Azalina was responding to a question from Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut) who asked about the allowances paid to Lim before he resigned, as well as to Stadlen and Heng Seai Kie, who is Wanita MCA chief. – The Malaysian Insider