GEORGE TOWN: The state government has ordered 15 new units of Toyota Camry 2.5 as its official car fleet with the vehicles to be delivered by mid November.
State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation chairman Chow Kon Yeow said a state executive councillors meeting had decided to change the aging existing car fleet due to excessive maintenance costs.
Chow told a press conference today here that the new cars at a total cost of RM1.7 million or an average price of RM113,700 per unit was much lower that the market price of RM175,000 per unit.
He said the state government had to abandon the existing fleet and opted for Toyota Camry as replacement as the current Mercedes Benz and Proton Perdana models to avoid paying hefty annual maintenance charges, with the highest average recorded at RM38,000 per year.
"The state government have resorted to prudent expenditure and save a lot from the bulk order. "We managed to secure at the lower prizes with the application of tax exemption from Customs Department," Chow said.
He added that the orders had been placed with UMW Toyota and the new cars would be locally assembled in the Shah Alam plant.
Asked on the the issue of lack of patriotism for not buying Malaysia made cars, Chow brushed aside the claim and defended the decision as the state government could not find alternative cars in the same category and the Proton Perdana models no longer in production.
Citing an example, he said the Selangor state government had opted to replace its existing official car fleet with Honda models.
The state government existing 15 official cars are being used by 11 state executive councillors, including chief minister and his two deputies, the state legislative assembly speaker and three ex-officials.
- nst.com.my
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