Sunday July 27, 2008

Exco men use Merc despite Cabinet order

By GLADYS TAY

JOHOR BARU: At least four of Terengganu's eight state executive council members are using newly purchased Mercedes-Benz E200 Kompressor cars despite a Cabinet directive against doing so.

Several of them were seen travelling in the cars to official functions and meetings.

Those who were seen taking rides in the car said they were waiting for Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said to make an announcement at Wednesday's state executive council meeting on when to give up the cars.

Terengganu Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Za’abar Mohd Adib attended the Malaysian Flora Fest here yesterday in his gleaming new black Mercedes-Benz.

“I think the issue is overblown,” said Za'abar yesterday when met after the function.

Official use: Ahmad Razif leaving in his Mercedes after attending an event opened by the Deputy Prime Minister in Kuala Terengganu on Friday night.

When asked whether he knew about Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's announcement, he said he was aware of it and that Ahmad had already commented about it.

On Friday, Abdullah had announced that all the Mercedes-Benzes bought by the state for its executive council members could only be used for foreign dignitaries.

Za'abar also described the overall performance of the car bearing the licence plate number TAM 28, as “justified”. The car was parked at the Dataran Bandaraya Johor Baru parking area reserved for VIPs and some press members noticed it as they were leaving the function.

“Oh, you all are more interested in the car than in the floral fest,” he said in jest when approached by reporters.

When asked whether his action was going against Abdullah's decision, Za’abar said: “That was not my intention.”

“I think the matter will be discussed at the next exco meeting,” he said.

He also said he first used the vehicle on Wednesday when he went to Kuala Lumpur to attend an executive council meeting.

“From Kuala Lumpur, I drove back to Terengganu because on Friday morning I had another meeting to attend and later that day, I drove to Johor Baru,” he said.

Datuk Za’abar’s car with registration number TAM 28 was seen at the VIP carpark as the executive council member attended the Malaysian Flora Fest parade in Johor Baru yesterday.

On Friday night, another executive council member, Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman, was seen leaving in his Mercedes after attending an event opened by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

In Kuala Terengganu, R.S.N. Murali reports that nine people have been questioned by the Anti-Corruption Agency over the high service costs of Proton Perdana V6 Executive cars owned by the state government incurred from 2004 to this year.

State ACA director Sharudin Sapian said those summoned to his office were civil servants and members of the public and several mechanics.