Government's New Mazdas Are To Save On Maintenance - Terengganu state secretary

The purchase of new official vehicles, which has been making the rounds on social media and is rumored to be for the use of the Menteri Besar and state exco members, has prompted calls for the Terengganu government to provide an explanation.

Wan Abdul Hakim Wan Mokhtar, a former state Umno information chief, urged that the government release a statement regarding the reported acquisition of the Mazda sport utility vehicle (SUV) to verify whether it was currently a high-priority and urgent need.

Tengku Farok Hussin Tengku Abdul Jalal, the state secretary of Terengganu, has verified the acquisition of a fleet of Mazda sport utility vehicles (SUVs) for the official use of state executive council members and menteri besar.

Tengku Farok was cited in a report published by Harian Metro yesterday as stating that the state budget had authorized the purchase of ten new SUVs the previous year.

He was also quoted as saying that the Terengganu state government made the decision to buy the SUVs in place of the current official vehicles in order to reduce maintenance costs, while stressing that the purchase of the vehicles did not violate any regulations.
“The purchase of four-wheel drive vehicles for the state Forestry Department had been approved. The state government has made it a practice to provide new vehicles to department heads, including state excos,” he added.
Under the ownership of Bermaz Auto, Mazda is covered by a standard 5-year or 100,000 KM warranty as well as a complimentary all-inclusive service package for the same length of time.