BN state Terengganu has procured 14 units of the Mercedes-Benz E200K at a price of RM3.43 million (RM245K each?) to replace the Proton Perdana V6 Executive state exco cars that was purchased in 2004. The new E200Ks will be used by the state exco members, state assembly speaker, secretary, legal adviser and finance officer.
Terengganu State Secretary Datuk Mokhtar Nong said the state felt the E200K was better for the long term compared to the Perdana V6 as the maintenance costs were lower. Terengganu MB Datuk Ahmad Said said that the Perdana V6 was not suitable for continuous long-distance journeys as they were coughing up alot of money maintaining the car, especially the gearbox.
The MB used state exco Toh Chin Yaw’s Perdana V6 as an example to prove his point. The Perdana V6 was claimed to have burned RM50k in repairs in the past 3 years. He did not go into details on what exactly needed to be repaired that needed that sum of money, and where the repair works were performed.
UPDATE: The DPM says the cabinet will be discussing the Terengganu state government’s purchase of the 14 units of E200K. He added that it was a policy that all federal and state government cars are to be national cars.
before i voice my displeasure, does anyone know what other states are using?
Erm… correct me if I’m wrong, I heard that ministers from penang government drive their own cars and most of them are just WIRAs
This news again proves BN is still number 1 in sucking taxpapers’ $$$.
Patriotism……….hmmmm….. yarrr..
They should have switched to Kia Optimas. Same price as Perdana but with stability control, Infinity audio, 17-inch made in France Michelin tyres, etc. With a fleet purchase of 14 units they could have gotten a good deal. Warranty is 5 years.
Not sure about what taxes state gov gets off for purchase of vehicles but the simple math is = RM50k for 3 years plus RM100k base cost vs. RM245k base cost???
Did they bother to check how much an E200 gearbox cost!
They have wrest back Terengganu from the opposition. Could you give them a break? They need to have something to flaunt their success.
In the Star, they also added “lower operating cost”, “safety” and “better resale value” but emphasize that this doesn’t mean proton is not good.
So does this mean, the normal rakyat doesn’t deserve safety and is rich enough to afford “high” operating cost? Who are they kidding?
Have they ever heard of a Toyota Camry? this is the first time i hear a stupid idea of buying a Merc E Class for reliability, this model is perhaps the one of the most unreliable model Merc makes…and if it breaks down u cant go anywhere but a proper workshop, which should be expensive, but who cares, the rakyat is paying for it anyway.
I thought I read that the Perdana was giving gear box problems? Perhaps they may have a point on the resale value but then again, it may not satisfy the public who thinks they are over spending.
I heard the new Perdana has been fitted with an oil cooler to reduce this gearbox problem. In any case I think they should get a fleet deal for the premium Kia Optima as it will save fuel (CVVT) and the maintenance costs are negligible. Warranty is 5-years so they have nothing to worry about. It’s got HUGE legroom, nappa leather with perforated suede seats, Infinity audio, ESP, TC, and tons of other high spec features.
But if there really is a study to show that this E200K offers better mileage and lower maintenance costs lets see it. Must be the best fleet buy ever.
WTF!
The Perdana V6 in my organisation also had this gearbox problem and had been replaced with new one.
I do agree that a cost analysis study should be done comparing cars that need to be bought and should be based by JKR advice. But if Dato’2 in Terengganu don’t bother about the cost since they will get 1 billion from petronas.
So much for patriotism and ‘buy malaysian product’ campaign is meaningless for some politician, and yet they ask us to ‘ubah gaya hidup’.
Cakap tak serupa bikin.
I thought money from petronas is to use for the rakyat…sorry MB also rakyat urghhh
Just a good excuse to ‘reward’ the winners of recent election! Paid for by Petroringgit, none the less.
I am not sure if the E200K is assembled in Pekan, Pahang – if it is, it should be cheaper. The RM 3.43 mil should be inclusive of parts and service over a certain number of years.
By now the everyone should have realised that “tukar gaya hidup” is applicable to the Rakyat ONLY, not to elected Govt Officials elected by the Rakyat!
Bloody hell. Got money from Petronas already the next thing is a fleet of new E-class.
Proton and its problematic gearbox again. Our national car huh. Even these hypocrite BN dogs do not want to use them.
Using rakyat’s money to buy luxury foreign makes. What the fuck.
UBAH GAYA HIDUP!
kalu pakai $ sendiri bli kete2 xpe la.
tapi..
kalu pakai $ rakyat, dlm kubor esok jawable ;)
I think the state govt do not pay the taxes when they purchase the new vehicle so the E200 would be much cheaper than current market value. But then and Accord or Camry could fit in. They are comparable in safety aspects.
I also think the high maintenance cost for Perdana V6 is due to monopoly in the service contract for govt cars.
If they send to normal Proton service center (or kedai potong) it should not cost that much.
A complete gearbox service for Perdana V6 should not exceed RM10k. I did my Wira auto for 2k in Puchong, and it did not give me any problem for the next 2 years until I sold it out. I did bought a “potong” gearbox prevously, but it lasts only 1 year before it gives me problems. I do service the gearbox on time.
Hopefully when the new Perdana replacement comes they could addres the problem, and have more appeal or the masses. If I were the PM, I would compel them to use locally made cars.
I would buy Malaysia’s first and others last.
Paul, this is 1 of the reason i am so reluctant to pay tax!
*I think they are thinking more of their pleasure then what those millions can help the rakyat?
hmmm… malaysian exco complaining about malaysian car… what a joke…
Merc has better resale value?
Maintenance costs were lower??
Perdana V6 burnt RM50k in repairs in the past 3 years???
Gosh, did the perdana knock down one lamp post every week?
Please enlighten me, will a MB car more heavier duty then a KL perdana taxi?
The fact is simple – Protons are inefficient and spare parts are expensive. And Proton spare parts DO cost more than spare parts for Mercedes-Benz. The Proton service standards are also poor. They have long been overpriced and awful and anyone given a choice wouldn’t want them!!!
Let’s try and look at the positive – even a BN-run state won’t use them as their official cars. In the past, BN states were compelled to use Proton from “The Top”. It was that kind of protectionism (as well as taxes against other car makes) that is the reason why Proton is still around. It is obvious from this latest move by Terengganu that there is no more forced usage of Proton.
This can only help hasten the demise of Proton. The sooner Proton is dead, the better for the car-lovers of Malaysia.
It’s a disgusting use of taxpayers money for Terengganu state government officials to be rewarding themselves with Mercedes-Benz(es) at the expense of the taxpayer but if it contributes to the end of Proton, consider it our small donation.
Hmm
several points:-
RM50k for two repairs over a year? there should be an audit on the cost of the repairs to determine if genuine.
Cost of RM240k/car- if state govt. not subject to taxes for the vehicles – shouldn’t the unit cost be less that that?
Good resale value of Mercedes cars – relative – good compared to say Citroen cars but bad compared to most Japanese makes. All luxury cars depreciate a lot. The depreciation cost would probably be in the region of RM30k a year on average – you could get a new Perdana every 3-1/2 years!
M Perdana V6 is going to the 9th year this time round.
The point is, it didnt cost me RM150k (50kx3) for this whole while.
Yeah It did cost me rm2k when i changed the t.belt.!
Can we see a breakdown of the RM50,000 repairs? Should be quite interesting. IMHO, without prejudice, this is a big slap in the face of Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Tahir and Proton’s PR dept. Perhaps they should investigate and reply, since they’ve already issued a statement regarding the purchase of MV Agusta by Harley-Davidson.
The MB defended the purchase today (Star, Mon 21 July) saying that it is cheaper to run the Mercs than Perdanas in the long run. Assuming that they got their maths right, why not consider other National cars from Perodua or Naza? Surely the Nautica and Naza Rias are more ‘economical’ to run??
The MB said the cars are not bought using PetroRinggit – which is even worse; they are using money meant for the Rakyat of Trengganu!
Another thing – are the cars really serviced by Proton authorised dealer or ‘kawan-kawan’ service center? Proton have standardised rate for genuine spare parts and labor charges, which comes with a warranty.
Yes, i heard some of the V6 gear boxes have problems, but 50K in 3 years? Are they part time rally drivers?
I was thinking, getting a vios or a proton persona will do… Why must a Mercedes C class?
Adoh, again? Just tell the rakyat you want to joli using their money la..
Are we so stupid ka? See, now you open youself to critics.. no wonder people hate Bee eNd nowadays.. However I want to know as well do Selangor & Penang retain their Perdana? and why MB (if the car depreciation value dah habih)? why not Hyundai or Kia which is way lower.. konon ubah cara hidup
Do you think the datuk want to ride on donkey or a horse?
delos3nos said,
July 21, 2008 @ 10:44 am
Do you think the datuk want to ride on donkey or a horse?
Why not – are they not ‘pulling the cart’ for the Rakyat?
Mr. MB, maybe u can buy 14 helicopters next time…..(if u still can win the election next term)…..
I wonder how Proton will respond to this.
One can look at this both ways. On the negative side, Proton’s image will be affected. On the positive side, we can tell ourselves that we should not blindly follow what we are told to do. During Tun M’s time, it was Proton and nothing else and no one dare complain, because the punsihment for crticising Proton is very very heavy.
However, the Terengganu govt should have opted for a Camry or an Accord, because the govt’s campaign for austerity sounds hollow now.
That is almost painful to read.
I’m sure its even more painful for Proton’s upper management to get this slap on the face.
But, even that fails to compare to the slap on the face of Terenganu voters who voted in the BN governement. Instead of spending the monies on well needed (proper) public service, they spend millions on new cars.
I still fail to see how a Perdana would cost $50k in repair bills in 3 years!? How the hell are you driving it (or driven in)? I’m sure it has to be spark plugs that cost 5k, and oil changes cost $1000 and gearboxes that cost $15k.
If maintenance costs were the factor, they should have bought a Camry or Accord at 1/2 the price. So much for BN economics.
No class ka using Proton Perdana, camry or accord. These people aaa, they wanted us to change lifestyles. Then they’re not giving us a very good example. Common people like us use own money to buy cars and petrol, these people were given Merc C with fuel and maintenance provided by the G. I’ll say next election, no vote for these people.
Is it compulsory for these people to drive such an expensive cars?
Why they have used that amount of money just to comfort them?
RM3.43 million just for the EXCO only.
That means the amount of money will be given to the other country.
Whats the major problem using the national cars?
If they complaint that the maintenance were high, what the different with Mercedes cars?
If they still want to have that cars, they have to cut off their own salary with the same amount of that cars.
THINK WISE FOR THE PEOPLE AND OUR COUNTRY
Alooo BPR ppl….please look into this matter aaa. I smell something fishy aaa.
Hahaha, that really is the best joke of today. I never heard that Mercedes maintenance cost is low. From where those MB get the statistic from? As far as I know, Mercedes need to go back their own factory for any maintenance and fixing. Even normal routine of maintenance like 4 wheel balancing or alignment fixing will cost up to K figure. The statement that made by the MB really is STUPID….. I’m really speechless. There goes the money from all people.
Wow, they want us to change our lifestyle. Ya very true, now i cant even order drinks when i eat in food court (i am one of the growing ‘segelintir’ chinese that is poor). It looks like now they change their lifestyle too using Merc E-class to ‘save’ petrol i guess.
Now, i really plan to change my lifestyle by joining the G too.
btw, that YB muz be one hell of a driver that can spend 50k on a perdana for 3 yrs.
“buy p2, kill p1, kill cronies”
Why just they have a deal with the custom dept and get the confiscated merc?
This is a PROOF that All this so-called Minister are NOT qualified to be, because they had FAILED the Kindergarten Matematics.
Macam mana KIRA, beli Merz lagi JIMAT? GILA..
This what called ‘Show Off’ reason, hopefully with the returns of ‘Oil Royalty’ to state government…walaweh..
Do they ever think Chancellor as an options? Where are their policy to support ‘Made in Malaysia’ cars??? Do all maintanence of the Merc reach the total maintenance+cost of Perdana V6??
chowh said,
July 21, 2008 @ 9:26 am
Hmm
several points:-
RM50k for two repairs over a year? there should be an audit on the cost of the repairs to determine if genuine.
Cost of RM240k/car- if state govt. not subject to taxes for the vehicles – shouldn’t the unit cost be less that that?
_____
of course good resale value la…they only paid 150k for the car w/o taxes and the rest is for service package. so after 5 years they still can easily sell the car for about 200k.
dirty BN did it again.
“Gus-Gus said,
The fact is simple – Protons are inefficient and spare parts are expensive. And Proton spare parts DO cost more than spare parts for Mercedes-Benz. The Proton service standards are also poor. They have long been overpriced and awful and anyone given a choice wouldn’t want them!!! ”
[other bullshit removed]
I know you do not use proton cars. you are too proud of our foreign makes. That’s why you pray so hard that P1 is dead. Well, if it is dead, then there is one less brand in the market.
Prove to us that proton parts are MORE expensive than Mercs!.
give us your figures…. until then, shut the f**k up..
.
I just want to share with you guys some info. Government paid to this company named Spanco to maintain all government cars at the price of RM400 mil a year (check the Ministry of Finance parliament hansard if you don’t believe me). From my understanding, Spanco’s policy is to make the cars get back on the road as quickly as possibly after any repair or service maintenance. Those of you who owns Perdana V6 and do big miles in it will surely know that this car has got gearbox problem. In fact I know how they maintain these cars too. They never actually repair it, they replace the WHOLE THING. Say, if a gearbox fails, they never actually repair it, they change the whole gearbox. That is why the cost can be so high. And the gearbox price also, well, I believe are being marked-up significantly, though I have no proof of this claim. I think it the root of the problem is Spanco itself, because they are not able to manage their service properly. I think if the government had switched to a different brand, say a Mercedes-Benz, the cost would have come up to the same amount, if not more. It’s Spanco (and partly Proton also laa, of course) that is having the problem, not just the cars.
Are we sure that they paid 240K per car? maybe they got it tax free? I agree our Ministers don’t deserve such luxuries.
Another way to waste taxpayers money, Why go for luxury car, Executive car such as Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima are better choices.
BN always talk big on cost saving measures and advice rakyat to save money but they never do that Why not drive Waja or Persona, Is it a disgrace to them ? Most of the rakyat driving proton but this people using rakyat money to drive Mercedes.
the new MB is no different from the previous one.
They are so terrible and poor in decision making..the RAKYAT is suffering from the high fuel price and they are enjoying..they should get a wira not a merc……the new MB should step down..
if merc e class is cheaper to run wouldn’t you see many e-class taxis around? but 90% fo taxis are proton i.e perdana, iswara, wira. that speaks for itself since taxis are the ones running the highest mileage.
and who is the brainless guy taht say p2 got cheaper spare parts? i never even seen a single p2 taxi. I totally agree with rt.
Smell stink of jelousy.. They deserve any car they want. Even if they really use taxpayers money, it is legal. Unlike most of those rich tycoon who profiteering from money laundering, illegal activities and cut throat business.
i forgot to mention that actually the MB is correct…the W124 e-class is indeed cheaper to maintain than a perdana v6
Paul Tan says: if they bought W124 for RM245k each… it’s even worse haha
i hope all the mercedes e class they’re buying has braking problem when reaching 100kmh behind a huge lorry/bus
‘Listen to me….you die! You are the commoner, I’m almost God. Change your lifestlye and slog! You are under my control. You want rights? Come up to my level then we can share. Or else, shut up!’ …… bodoh G.
A big slap on the face of our pm..ubah cara hidup..by spending laviously on luxury car. How do you expect the rakyat to approach this servants when they come in an entourage of heavily tinted mercs..
How can face the rakyat day in day out? You can still see many attaps houses that on the brink of collapsing, and with housing projects that are sporadically and haphazardly built.
Don’t spoils the rakyat with unconditional hand-outs or sedekah, because this will only make them more complacent and lost the will to earn a living. Its as deadly as drugs.
Buy whatever you want, but ensure also that the Rakyat is also taken care off.
Built better infrastructures, better medical care facilities, better marine policing and weather stations, better jetties, better cold storage facilities etc.
The useless numbskulls strike again. This is getting a lill bit outrageous. Why an E-Class if you can buy close to 2 Camries with that ? It’s as luxury and trust me, for someone who drives camry all this while, it’s a very good and reliable car. Are we supposed to be amused by this ?
Yeah, they just wanna be useless comfortable AGAIN! Stupid idiots !
yucks… in the world of petrol n food price increase… gov stil has the pleasure to ride on new merc… wat a shame n lame reasons they give… where is the gov shares difficulty with Rakyat campaign has gone??? totally ridiculous…
Why are you people complaning ? Well the people of Terengganu have given them the mandate to rule, so take what may come from the ruling government even if they want to buy private jet – it is their sole perogative. The only people to blame are those who have voted them in. Stop blaming the state exco as they are just exercising their right just as those who have exercise their right to vote them in.
hahaha!!he’s sure is going to be in deep s**t..thats the most ridiculous, lamest excuse i’ve ever heard..japanese brand is obviously the better option..cheaper and quite reliable compared to merc..tsk2..the side mirror signal itself cost rm300 plus!!what was he thinking…
Thats why the Gov keeps on repeating the same stupid mistake over and over again. Whatever mandate that has/had been given to them, they should use that to refuse a Merc. They should have discussed it thoroughly before they even proceed with procurements. But I guess everybody wants a piece of the German marque in their driveway. A Toyota or a Honda wouldn’t seem appropriate for their status. Yeah, maybe, but the only thing thats lack of status here are their brains.
actually what majuperak said is true also. It’s the people’s choice. Hopefully those who voted for BN will be affected the most
Next, some other states will justify that BMW have better running costs and wala, new 523i’s will be next for dearest YBs….tahniah!
THINK ITS NOT A PROBLEM.
IT WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE EXCOS ARE NOT TIRED TO DO THEIR JOBS AND MAKE THE PEOPLE OF TERENGGANU PROUD.
IF THEY CAN FOCUS ON THEIR JOB ITS OKEY RATHER THAN BE HYPOCRITE.
NAIK KAPAL TERBANG KELAS EKONOMI TAPI CALAIM BISNIS CALSS!
I DINT VOTE BN BECAUSE DONT LIKE PAK LAH AJERRR
the price of each of these cars is way higher than the average home per rakyat in the state if terengganu …and those perdana’s must have the highest repair bill in the whole country (maybe the exco drive in reverse)..there are other models which are reliable and cost half the price you know..merc reliability has been crap since 96 models onwards..
wa ha ha this is how they (excos) ‘perhabis’ our money……..
i think gearbox problems is not a big deal
wut important is we support our automotive industries
but what us (rakyat) going to do, sit and watch they ‘perhabis’ our money….
yeh yeh yeeay!!!!!
Perdana got gearbox problem? It’s Proton! Proton own by who? Should they feedback this to Proton and mabbe push Proton to change all their gearbox for free or mabbe at cheaper cost. Still it would be better than wasting RM245K to buy the Benz.
BTW, with the price tag similar to Perdana, we still have many other better choice and reliable car. Should it be the Toyota? Honda? etc etc. Aren’t these cars are way better than PROTON? and even cheaper than the Benz. Babi Negara is wasting our hard earn rakyat money again. Just wonder what will happen to our country if keep these pigs to rule any longer.
If they are the first, they wont be the last. Expect to see more Merc and BMW roaming the road by BN. Very soon, Germany leader will visit PL to thank him!
“Ubah gaya hidup!” yeeeha
its a shame. but as many have said, they should have gone for the camry. It would be more than sufficient.
sini masuk sikit, sana keluar sikit, tutup sebelah mata, and then TRENG TRENG TRENG!!!! Perdana become E200K…….
well, that proven that our national car (not really lah, its Eterna) is not good enough, lol~
all Datuks and Datins must be driven inside a Merc, BMW, Bentley and Cayenne…..as if…..
anyway, DAP forever….
The present MB of Terengganu came in with so much controversy, and as a politician, he has to consolidate his position fast if he wants to reamin in his position for long.
As in the party’s culture, support can always be bought, and thus the Merc for the EXCOs. He needs their loyalty and at the same time he needs to erase whatever influence that his prdecessor still has on the assemblymen and women.
The unfortunate part is that he is using the people’s money to achieve this.
Be it Perdana or E-Class or 3-Series, state government officials and even the ministers should be made to drive their own cars. Why waste money on buying a fleet of luxury cars just to fulfill their wet dreams prior to election? Heck, even the UK Transport Minister just drive an Alfa 156 to work!
You know what? We shouldn’t blame the rakyat in the Terengganu state for this. We should encourage them to speak up and scrutinize every wrong moves that those elected has made.
No matter who becomes the Government, they have NO RIGHTS to use our money as they see fit!
Longjaafar, so you are saying they he should ‘bribe’ his team 1st to gain support and loyalty? Is that what you are going to do if you are in his place?
BN can’t even give a better excuse (or talk cock) when burning our money, please forward this news to others so all rakyat can see how these stupid people burn our hard earn money!!!
The silly EMBEE should forced to sell all the Benzes and opt for Camry or Accord all below RM145k. If you exclude tax merely RM89000 for 2.0 new Accord x 14. Why should they have more expensive ride than RM90k?
They not even good in maths. Where the stupid got the ideas modern and electronic Mercedes-Benz cheap to run? Reliability not even on par with Proton (especially in UK).
Stupidest and boldest EMBEE after March 8, 2008.
I agree, there are many better alternatives like the Accord, Camry, Optima, 407, or even the Volvo S80 2.5T which is cheaper than a brand new E200K at normal price.
ahh.. should juz upgrade to new perdana then~ or maybe proton chancellor..? then onli can show semangat beli barang buatan malaysia.. i dont think da RM50K probs applies to all perdanas as i know one of my colleuge using 2002 first perdana v6 still running without any problems.. plus, i agree with others here dat they should consider other makers too which is lower in prices.. however, they have da power to do anything, wat can i do =P
should go for toyota camry, a world reliable brand & reasonable price (although is more expensive compare to other japanese car maker like honda etc for the same car segment)…
btw, maintance cost could be low if you compare RM2k service cost vs RM245k Merc to RM2k service cost vs RM170+k Camry… but dont forget about the purchasing price…
i dont care how they spend the money, but pls don simply answer wit those stupid answer………I noticed those menteri menteri recently just simply answer question like no brain. If donno how to answer just keep quiet.
I just noticed the number plate on the Merc in the photo.
Anyway, I really think BN has becoming increasingly unpopular of late. If they are at least a little smarter, they would try to defend their (lucky) election victory by being more sensitive to Rakyat.
More importantly for us, we should spread this outrageous news to as many people in Terengganu as possible, esp those without internet access and are slightly behind time.
It is obvious the BN should not have won.
merc?why cant they use a camry, accord?
yeah why has to be mercs not honda’s and toyota’s?
Status issue, aint to maintain merc more expensive than locally made car ? They really think we didn’t know math rite, soon or later someone would step up and tell us purchase placed before fuel hike incident.
50k for 3 years ? LoL enough anot, i believe not enough lar take more lar. Stop giving out stupid reason/execuse please, if you want to do such think in the future, please please use yr brain juice think more creative reason/execuse.
In the first place, why did this made in the news? Just get the mercs and start driving already. Afterall, they were voted by the people of terengganu and these excos need these wheels to get to parts of terengganu fast! These cars are just the tip of the iceberg. Who knows what else they have spent on. This is BN rule.
juz watch the news… looks like the terengganu CM doesnt give a s*** on the comments given… he still insists on buying those mercs… wow… absolutely wow…
For the poor rakyat : Ubah gaya hidup
For the (stupid) politician : Upgrade gaya hidup
I’m fine if they drive a Merc if they prove themselves worthy, that they can do work and work towards the rakyats’ need.
but a MERC for these dungu politicians?!! WTF
why not honda accord baru,or camry baru? better value what?
Why cannot have 100 cars 100 days quiz? why why? salah guna kuasa takpe, rakyat nak main quiz salah, what is this? grrrrr!!! :P
p/s Hi Mr MB, could you give me one honda accord for me, i promise will vote for u. i keep quite quite.
i do agree wt the trengganu mb, mayb he got all t bad perception frm u guys at paul tan who knows?
i do read trengganu use 2 produce high quality oil call “tapis brand”, so it is their wright 2 celebrate royalty money.
i do agree its rakyat trengganu money then cheif executive of the state has a wright 2 make decisions.
no 2 camry made in thailand,no 2 honda made in indonesia ,kia is a second class ma….
ROFLMAO
Who on earth are they trying to scam?? u think we stupid ka???
Even if you say Perdana maintenance cost Rm50k in 3 years, (which is total bull shit), The depreciation of a Mercedes E200K alone is about rm40k a year. This figure alone is excluding service charges and other unprecedented costs.
Anyway, an e class depreciates rapidly for every km traveled.
And they dare say traveling long distances is more economical in an E class… Jeez…
LATEST!:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/21/nation/20080721201604&sec=nation
LUMUT: All ministry senior officials and state government excos must use national cars instead of foreign vehicles, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
This was a longstanding policy and the Cabinet would, therefore, meet to determine why Terengganu found it necessary to spend RM3.43mil to buy 14 Mercedes E200 Kompressor cars.
“I use national cars and the Prime Minister uses national cars too,” he told reporters after chairing a Malaysia Defence Industry Council meeting at the navy base here on Monday.
They want Mercedes-Benz, pure and simple. The reasons are just excuses.
Anyway the E200K is below 2000 cc if I’m not mistaken, therefore by government definition it is poor low-income people, and eligible for the RM 625 rebate. Pity those poor Excos.
Contrary to many people here, I think in principle the MB is making the right decision. Mind you that there are other brands that can be considered with the same setup. Here is why?
Firstly, duty free E200K is RM269,225 available to MM2H. The retail for others is at RM350k When they buy at RM245k, that is about the same price of a 3-4 year old reconditioned E200K. Which means, even after using for 3-4 years, the would be able to get their money back.
Maintenance, Mercedes gives 2 years UNLIMITED KILOMETRE warranty on all parts. With the bulk purchase, they can probably extend that to 3-4years.
Which means, no cost for repairs no matter how much you travel.
Service. While most Japanese models have lower cost per service but they require more frequent intervals. The Merc is only serviced once every 15,000kms. That equals 3 Japanese car service for the same kilometres travelled. Therefore, service cost is nearly thereabouts. BMW offers free service for the first few years.
Fuel comsumption, I will bet my bottom ringgit that the E200k consumes less fuel in any similar driving condition when compared to the V6 Perdana. Here is why, the V6 has six cylinders with a displacement of 2000cc, the E200k has 4 cylinders with a displacement of 1800cc. They are however supercharged. Meaning, they consume less petrol for the same amount of power generated. The E200k can do 8.3-9litres of fuel for highway cycle at speeds of 150km/hour. In the city, the car consumes between 10-13litres for mixed city driving. Check with any of your friends driving the present E200k.It has the latest M271 Twinpulse Supercharged engine.
So, there you have it. To me, the MB is right in his justification.The key thing in this purchase is that they are paying the price of a depreciated car, zero repair bills, will likely consume less petrol for the same kilometres travelled.
Think about it?
BTW, Terengganu state government is not the first to use Mercs for their official cars, I have seen many new S class registered to the Sarawak state government.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/21/nation/20080721201604&sec=nation
Ahmad Said just got C4′ed. LOL
Why am I not surprised, after all BN did not want Ahmad Said as Terengganu MB but wanted Idris Jusoh.
A good thing for us if they start to bicker with each other.
sutpid donkey if me i will go for ferrari UBAH GAYA HIDUP AS PER OUR PM SAID
OMG, “I use national cars and the Prime Minister uses national cars too,” he told reporters after chairing a Malaysia Defence Industry Council meeting at the navy base here on Monday.” I still called back my mind last year when I was in Airport and I said VPM and the car WASN”S Perdana V6 Executive. It is E200K and No. 888 (I forgot the alphabet).
Yes, for normal situation all VIP should take Perdana V6 Executive for daily work. But use Mercedes E200k for daily work, it seem over and should we ask where the money come from to purchase them.
Perdana V6 Executive having many PROBLEMs??? Then why the Government still protect Proton when it claims it is problematic car. and some politicans said that the maintenance is very high, is Mercedes maintenance cheap???
Why don’t choose Accord or Camry which have significant lower maintenance cost than Mercedes and consider that it has a good lifespan too. These 2 models are more fuel efficiency than Merc too.
So why Mercedes E200K?
Why all the negativity? Come on, they did something right. They stopped buying Protons. Haha…
Agree with what 9166 said, come to think of it, it is actually a sound purchase if the state government doesnt have to pay any tax for it. Do remember that the Perdana we’re talking about is the Executive version which has a longer wheelbase and cost about RM 200k when it was new and the re-sale value of the Executive version is certainly crappy (about RM 60k for a 04 model), compare it to a E200K, the state government can still sell it away at their cost price (RM 200k+) after 3/4 years. Camry or Accord are way below their budget (don’t forget that the Perdana Executive costs about RM 200k). Add in the warranty they are getting from Mercedes, the cost of the car is virtually free of charge. The fuel consumption of E200K is actually the same as a Camry 2.0 or Accord 2.0 and the service interval of 15 000 km for the Mercedes is certainly a plus point. (Check the fuel consumption at the respective manufacturers’ website). What’s more, E200K is assembled in Pekan, Pahang (in certain manner, the state government is contributing to the economy)
In short, the Perdana V6 Executive the government has been purchasing is just a waste of money and certainly cost more money to the taxpayers.
Add in the brand prestige they are getting, viola! there you have it, a goood deal. The federal government isn’t happy about this because this might start a revolution…where every state governments stop using Perdana V6 Executive and this will cause Proton to lose money.
Justin.
Good for you.At least you are thinking out of the box. I am no advocate of the government’s present decisions on a range of things but in this case, the MB deserves the credit in setting forth the facts. At the end of the day, it is not about who wins but facts must prevail.
The unlimited mileage serves the exco’s purpose very well.So they can drive from the north to the south in one day and back again the next day, if something breaks down, the exco will get a courtesy Merc while they repair the car. FOC…..I believe, many other manufacturers have mileage limitations.
At the rate they travel, the warranty will be over in 6months to a year. That is where the MB talks about the maintenance cost. Coupled with the fact that suppliers charges the government exhorbitant prices. I think everyone knows that the government pays top top prices in anything they buy. Show me someone that suppliers to the government and truthfully says otherwise.
ALSO, remember what our MITI minister said about Proton parts are 50% higher which he believes is not reflective that the parts are 50% better than the industry… Add this in and you have your answer.
It is like getting an illusion that the part is cheaper than others but getting substandard quality parts that do not last.
BTW, i do not work of Mercedes or any of their dealers….
brader…a perdana v6 executive doesn’t cost 200k la…..that is for perdana limousine. if not mistaken the executive is somewhere in the region of 140k
i was so tempted to say BS to the state government. thank you
apa laaa… semua sibuk2 nak mempertikaikan kereta exco kerajaan terengganu.. cuba kita lihat kereta exco di negeri lain pulak, mcm kat Sarawak.. mereka menggunakan BMW 5-series untuk exco- exco kecil (Timbalan menteri) dan kereta2 mewah yang lebih lagi (e.g Jaguar or merc S-class) untuk full cabinet punya minister.. kenapa x persoalkan kerajaan Sarawak dalam hal ni.. even ketua- ketua jabatan pun dah pakai kereta- kereta mewah
To aksMs:
I cannot answer your question because I’m not a politician, and never will be. I did mention that “bribing” supporters is the party’s culture. All I’m concerned is that he’s using the taxpayers’ money for this extravagant purchase.
TODAY IT WILL TABLE AT THE CABINET………
NAJIB FOR PM…..!
the oil price is high now but Terengganu government buy expensive car (Mercedes Benz). Why? The main reason because they want to reduce maintenance cost and getting better millage. For me, that are not the best reason. their reasons is reliable if the buy Camry 2.0 or Accord 2.0. more extra money can help rakyat. bad decision by Terengganu government. tq
Datuk2 semua…
Pakai proton saga sudahlah…
jimat kos… semuanya murah…
idak pun… pakai je kancil…
Baru bleh masuk kampung…
Lanyak sana-sini…
kalu pakai mercedes…sikit2 nak basuh…sikit2 nak basuh…nak bagi berkilatlah katakan…
Alternatively…
All datuk2 can use the japanese car like Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Subaru…
Why choose Mercedes? To save cost?
Recommended car:
Toyota – Camry
Honda – Accord
Nissan – Sylphy
Subaru – Imprenza!… What, imprenza?
perhhh….
mintak2 negeri laen x ikut jejak langkah EXCOs terengganu…
lagi2 negeri aku…
DAH BAGI BETIS NAK PEHA PLAK….
PEUGEOT 407 LAA… WAY BETTER AND SAFER CAR.
Common la.. I fully support The MB choice. They are leaders and they work hard for it!
I don’t agree to Penang CM punishing his Exco by making them using old junk!
They as our Leaders deserve to be rewarded by their leadership quality, only then they can be expected to work harder. If everybody receive the same, who want to work?
Supporting the local car industry is totally another story.
well…at least they didn’t move thier asses around in an s-klasse
Listed at http://www.asia.mercedes-benz.com/dsclight/dsclight_adapter.php?country=malaysia&module=config#quickaccess as RM353,888.00
So if the math is right, they “saved”RM108,888 in terms of taxes.
If the logic is right, us mortals “if and when we can afford” this car, would pay that same amount just for being Malaysians.
Hmmm…
Damn the buggers,
They tax import cars to expensive, force people to drive Proton…They themselves get Merc with PEOPLE’s $$.
Spent and enjoy all you can before 16/9/08 then cant enjoy lagi.
its the same old story, pronton expensive cos of the cronies, buy merc since its rakyet $$, and why so expensive in maintain pronton? Its a joke, or probably they do pay more to maintain a proton (you know why, remember the Indepedance Day ID4 movie, the Gpay hundreds for a screw…hahaha). Go watch movie Charlie Wilson’s War, and you figure out how it works.
Still support the MB ka? Haiyya…
Nice taste, but cekik darah rakyat…
Actually rakyat deserve better than them, how can we judge their leadership quality? Setahun jagung pun tak sampai….
Paul, this news is a little bit late oredi.
two days after the newspaper.
damn hard to believe… 2 four years old V6 need maintenance more than RM300K… if tat the case, i guess a lot V6 owner out there alr changing to E class.. hahahaha
see 23 July 2008 Kee’s World comic in the Star… it’s so true…
http://thestar.com.my/comics/kee/
To justify their purchase ?? The figures that they report could be (as usual) some figures that they derived from their own delusions and what not. I honestly don’t think they should justify anything, but their own actions in decision making.
Why a Merc if there are other equally good brands out there ? Take Toyota Camry for example. The shape of the car alone screams luxury. The interior is of equal standard as well. And to think Perdanas are expensive to maintain ? Wait till one of the newly purchased German marques break down.
Its baffles me (still), that at some point, considering the major petrol hike and the increasing cost of everything, they still think it’s the right move to be splurging on the rakyats’ expense. I think BN is seriously out of their silly little (useless) minds.
Let me correct you all regarding the price of the proton perdana V6 executive price. The car cost about RM166k per car. So it more expensive than accord and camry. If adding the cost of maintenance for Perdana then it will be more expensive than the mercedes. However, it still does not justify for the governement to purchase the mercedes.
Maybe Toyota and Honda sounds a bit cheap for their ‘status’. Being a politician is a glamorous lifestyle. Everything that they do is always given the 1st class treatment. 1st class in anything and everything. Fly 1st class. Stay 1st class. Eat also must 1st class. If on the road, must 1st class as well with the outriders and all. Tak dapat tunggu kat lampu isyarat macam pemandu lain ke ? In a hurry to go shopping or cari perempuan simpanan ? But when it comes to really doing their job ?? I don’t think there’s any class to be measured up to. Because they are fucking slow when it comes to doing their jobS, REALLY doing them
Yeah, and to be told to change our lifestyle and all that beefshit. We deserve to lead the lifestyle that we give ourselves, because we work our asses off for it. But to rely and dependent on the rakyats’ expense ? Memand tak masuk akal. Its been stated that Petrodollars have been spent for the development of our country. But this clearly shows that it’s actually spent for the development of their own personal interests. Exco, or whatever, they are all the same.
all i can said is they want all the best.how come repair cost will reach to rm100k and above?as a human being, we should know what is going on with this money?