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Saturday July 26, 2008

PM: Terengganu must follow decision to use Perdanas for exco members

By JANE RITIKOS and R.S.N. MURALI


PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet has decided the official cars for executive councillors have to be Proton Perdanas and Terengganu must abide by the decision.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the state's executive council members would therefore not be allowed to use any of 14 Mercedes-Benz E200 Kompressors the state bought for RM3.43mil as replacements for their Proton Perdana V6 Executives.

The Mercedes-Benz cars can only be used for visiting foreign dignitaries and guests of the state.

Service recognised: Abdullah presenting the Anugerah Tokoh Akademik Negara recognition award to Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Syed Jalaludin Syed Salim of Universiti Putra Malaysia at the National Academic Awards 2007 ceremony at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday. With them is Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

Abdullah said the Terengganu Government was allowed to keep the cars because losses would be incurred if they were sold off.

Speaking to reporters after the National Academic Awards 2007 event at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday, Abdullah said he had a meeting with his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said on Thursday night.

“We said the important thing was that the Cabinet had decided the state government should not use the cars for its executive council members,” he said.

“I said: 'Use the Mercedes-Benz cars for guests who are visiting',” he said.

Najib, at a separate press conference in Kuala Terengganu, said Terengganu could keep the Mercedes-Benz cars but that they should only be used as official cars for visiting dignitaries.

The policy of using the Proton Perdana as official cars for executive council members and ex-officio members still remained, he said.

Earlier in Kuala Terengganu, a jovial Ahmad told the press that the matter had been resolved. However, he kept reporters guessing over whether the executive council members would be allowed to use the Mercedes-Benz cars.

“Yes, we reached a consensus on the matter during the meeting at Putra World Trade Centre (on Thursday). The matter has been solved. I cannot elaborate further,” he said.

When asked whether the cars could be now regarded as official cars for state executive council members, Ahmad said: “Make your own presumption. I said the matter had been solved.”

Ahmad said he explained to Abdullah and Najib the rationale for switching from the Proton Perdana to the Mercedes-Benz and that the reasons were accepted.

“I told them that the state government has not spent extravagantly and the decision to procure the Mercedes-Benz was done after two years of evaluation,” he said.

Ahmad described his meeting with both Abdullah and Najib as cordial.

He also denied that the state government had ordered a tax-free RM600,000 Mercedes-Benz S class for his use.

“I have no intention of changing my Mercedes-Benz E240 that is now 18 years old. Let people speculate if they wish to do so,” he said.

On Thursday, State Secretary Datuk Mokthar Nong vehemently denied that the state Treasury had placed a deposit for the Mercedes-Benz for Ahmad.

Related Stories:
Terengganu's Mercedes Benzes only for foreign VIPs, says PM
Idris may sue Terengganu Govt over erroneous figure
Terengganu’s cars only cost RM542 a year, says Proton
RM88,000 for upkeep of Perak exco man’s Perdana

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