PETALING JAYA – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he was able to successfully cancel the order for the brand new Mercedes S600 previously purchased by one of his predecessors before it was sent out for delivery.
He said this in a brief light exchange with reporters pertaining to his official vehicle after chairing a Pakatan Harapan presidential council meeting today.
“The Mercedes car has not arrived. If I use this car, it’s okay, right?” he said, referring to the black Toyota Camry he has been travelling in.
“(I can) use any car that is available. Actually, this (Mercedes) was ordered by the previous prime minister. I checked if I could still cancel (the booking), and I managed to do that.”
His statement comes in light of social media comments questioning why he is rejecting the use of the vehicle despite the government having paid for it.
Anwar did not specifically name which one of the past prime ministers had placed the booking for the luxurious vehicle.
However, certain media have reported that the purchase for the Mercedes S600 was first mooted under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration, before it was approved when Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was in office.
According to a report by Berita Harian, the model is estimated to cost more than RM1 million, depending on the specifications.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Anwar said he had rejected the Mercedes S600 procured by the Prime Minister’s Department before he entered office.
“The decision was made because I don’t want any new expenses to be incurred. Instead, I have decided to use whatever vehicle is available at my office for daily use.”
Earlier today, Ismail Sabri’s media and strategic communications director Datuk Ruhaidini Abu Kadir said there is nothing unusual about newly minted prime ministers rejecting new official cars.
She noted how Ismail Sabri had himself rejected the use of an imported armoured vehicle as his official car.
“The ninth prime minister Ismail Sabri had also rejected using a bulletproof car provided by the government. Throughout his premiership, Ismail Sabri preferred using an MPV used by the previous administration,” she said on Facebook.
Ruhaidini added that the Umno vice-president had also refused to approve modifications to the prime minister’s official jet when he was in office. – The Vibes, November 28, 2022
