Terengganu govt's new Mazdas to save on maintenance - state secretary

 

Terengganu state secretary Tengku Farok Hussin Tengku Abdul Jalal has confirmed the purchase of a fleet of Mazda sport utility vehicles (SUVs) for the official use of the menteri besar and state executive councillors.

According to a report by Harian Metro today, Tengku Farok was quoted as saying that the procurement of 10 new SUVs was approved by the state budget last year.

He was also cited as saying that the decision to purchase the SUVs to replace the current official vehicles was to help the Terengganu state government save on maintenance costs.

“As of now, the SUVs, which were purchased in May, have yet to be distributed, including to the exco members.

“The purchase of these vehicles should not be politicised as it was approved in last year’s budget,” he told reporters after visiting the disaster operations room in Kuala Terengganu today.

In recent days, speculation has been rife that the Terengganu state government had procured new vehicles for its leaders after photos of Mazda SUVs went viral on social media.

Elaborating on the matter, Tengku Farok stressed that the purchase of the vehicles did not violate any regulations.

The purchase was also approved along with four-wheel drive vehicles for the state Forestry Department, he said.

He also asserted that it has become a norm for the state government to provide new vehicles to department heads including the state excos. - Mkini