近7成国阵后座议员，将乘搭机票不菲的商务舱，分3批参与9月7日至19日的“出国考察团”。
不过，后座议员俱乐部辩称该考察团是自费，并没要求政府拨款赞助。
国阵后座议员俱乐部农业组主任拿督依斯迈说：“51名国阵后座议员将参与这项‘台湾农业科技考察团’，他们将分3批出发前往台湾。”
“一些今天（9月7日）启程，剩下的则是明天和后天起飞。由于他们都乘坐商务舱，而班机的商务舱数额有限所以必须分批出发和返回都门；所以9月16日至19日（4天），他们将分批回国。”
详细内文如下：
也是玻璃市巫统亚娄区国会议员的依斯迈接受《东方日报》询问时指出，国阵后座议员人数为76人，51人报名参加，出席率达67%。
他认为，扣除一些任务在身的议员无法参与考察团，如马华总会长拿督斯里黄家定、副总会长拿督斯里冯镇安，和巫青副团长凯里等，67%的报名率也算相当高。
他表示，大马驻台湾代表将联合台湾当局安排考察行程。
针对政府以公帑赞助考察团，“无形隔离”国阵议员与反对党代表碰面商讨“916变天”的提问时，依斯迈强调，“台湾农业科技考察团”的费用完全由该俱乐部承担，没有动用政府拨款。
他说：“这次出国是我们（俱乐部）主办，并非受政府邀请或代表大马，因此团费由我们承担，我们也不能向国会申请拨款出国考察。”
“除非我们代表政府出席国际会议，否则出议员们自掏腰包承担出国费用。还好我们的老板（主席）张庆信慷慨，愿意资助团费，他也非常支持我们出国考察增广见闻。”
至于出国考察的时间与人民公正党实权领袖拿督斯里安华提出的“916变天”是否有关时，他一口否认道，完全没有关系。
他指出，议员们不是小孩子或轻易受威胁的人，他们当中很多都是专业人士，高俱乐部无法强迫他们必须随团出国。
他说：“我们怎能强迫他们？他们也不是小孩啊！他们在议会殿堂内必须听从党鞭的指示，踏出议会厅外，他们不受我们控制。”
他指出，参与考察团是自愿性质，民联不断散播虚假消息混淆人民视线。
针对一些国阵议员的行踪受到政治部人员“跟踪留意”时，他回答：“我不晓得这事情。议员的节目很多，他们是否受到当局‘留意’我则不清楚。”
看看官方《马新社》今日（9月8日）的新闻：
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Some Barisan Nasional (BN) members of parliament, part of a 49-member delegation, left for Taiwan today on a study tour of the agriculture technology being used in the island nation.
BN Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) chairman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the departure of the BN MPs was being done in stages until this Wednesday as they were using cheap flights.
"I will be leaving for Taiwan either tomorrow or the day after," he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Meanwhile, BNBBC deputy chairman Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin said besides Tiong, the delegation comprised 10 MPs from Sabah and 12 from Sarawak, while the rest were from the peninsula.
"We expect to return to Malaysia on Sept 17 or 18," he said before departing from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport today.
Asked why Taiwan was the chosen destination, Bung Mokhtar said they were keen to learn about the new agriculture technology being used in that country.
"Besides, it (Taiwan) is quite near to Malaysia," he said, adding that the expenses for the study tour were borne by the participating MPs themselves.
Bung Mokhtar said the MPs planned to adopt Taiwan's agriculture technological know-how for the griculture industry in their respective constituencies.
"The authorities in Taiwan have agreed to arrange for our visits to the farms and agriculture industrial sites there," he added.
Malaysia does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Bung Mokhtar also refuted claims by some quarters that the visit to Taiwan had to do with BN's attempts to prevent Pakatan Rakyat from forming a new government come Sept 16.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had last Friday also said that the study tour had no connection with Pakatan Rakyat's "Sept 16" plan.
"If they (BN MPs) want to go, let them go. Why should it be linked to Sept 16. They are not going to hop to the opposition," he had said.
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