GEORGE TOWN – Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has received a new official car today – a Mercedes S560e.
It replaces the previous official car, a Mercedes CM S300L purchased in 2013.
The state secretary's office in a statement said the approval to buy the car was made in a state executive council meeting on November 29.
"The selenite gray colour car was bought on December 31 for RM458,122.78 and received savings of RM127,765.22 from the original price," the official said.
It is understood that the chief minister's official car was replaced due to its maintenance cost increasing by RM36,199 every year from 2013 to 2018.
Since this morning, the official car has become the centre of attention, especially when he attended the induction ceremony of new Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillors.
However, a check by The Vibes found that the sale price of the Mercedes-Benz S560e on the market starts at RM658,888, while the vehicle is assembled at the Mercedes plant in Pekan, Pahang.
In August last year, the Penang government bought 15 new Toyota Camry 2.5V cars costing RM2.77 million for its executive councillors to replace cars of the same model purchased in 2013.
State Finance Officer Sarul Bahiyah Abu had said that the Camry cars assembled in Japan cost RM184,912.50 each, after a discount of RM4,990.
In January last year, the Kelantan government received much flak from various quarters when it bought a fleet of new Mercedes S-class cars. – The Vibes, January 7, 2021
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