The temperature in the Selangor state assembly rose briefly when a DAP rep questioned the BN opposition leader for accepting an official car.

An irate Shamsudin Lias then told Sungai Pinang assemblyperson Teng Chang Kim that the latter could have the Toyota Camry if he wanted it.

Teng had questioned the Umno Sungai Burong assemblyperson’s decision to accept the car, when BN state reps rejected the RM200,000 allocation from the state government to develop their constituencies.

“I would like to ask the opposition leader (Shamsudin) why did he reject the money allocated for the people, if he had readily accepted the official car?” he asked.

This prompted several Pakatan Rakyat assemblypersons to interject and the situation became chaotic for a few minutes.

Shamsudin then clarified that the keys to the new Toyota Camry were only handed to him yesterday by Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali.

However, he said, the approval for the car came from former Selangor menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim prior to his resignation.

“This matter should not have been brought up,” he added.

The Toyota Camry comes with an allocation, including allowances for car maintenance and the driver’s salary.

This morning, Samsuddin said that all 12 BN state reps would reject the allocation as the amount was insulting since Pakatan reps received RM700,000.

Meanwhile, Selangor Speaker Hannah Yeoh ( right ) clarified that the official car was offered to Shamsudin after a decision made by the assembly management select committee and approved at the last assembly meeting.

“This is not an issue of the menteri besar trying to pull a gimmick. I hope that no one accuses the menteri besar of playing politics,” she said at a press conference today.

When asked on the actions of the BN assemblypersons rejecting the the RM200,000 annual allocation each, she said that the money was for the use of the people.

“The money is to run programmes for the people. When it is rejected, it shows that they (BN assemblypersons) already have money and do not need this money.  I do not know, maybe they have got funds from the federal government,” Hannah said.

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