Did you know that you can buy a Mercedez Benz Compressor way below market price, a mere RM80,000 to be exact?

That's all you have to pay the Customs Department for an 'auctioned' year 2000 model, that is if you happen to be a VIP from 'selective' government institutions.

Based on a list obtained from an official source, the evening edition of yesterday's Nanyang Siang Pau reports that 150 high-profile individuals paid between RM8,000 to RM80,000 for confiscated cars, including luxury models, sold by the customs over the past four years.

Today, the list was conspicuously absent in the morning edition of the paper but still carried the story as a front page lead. Oriental Daily News meanwhile reports that the list originates from Parliament.

The list boast public figures such as Prime Minister Department Parliamentary Secretary Dr Masitah Ibrahim, Internal Security Deputy Minister Mohd Johari Bahrom, Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Deputy Minister Khamsiyah Yeop and both Finance Ministry Deputy Ministers, Dr Ng Yen Yen and Awang Adek.

High-ranking officials from six ministries - Finance, Education, Works, Foreign, Transport and Defence - also made the list, along with two state assemblypersons.

Civil servants on the list include high-ranking officials from the Anti-Corruption Agency, Customs Department, Immigration Department and the police force.

Those on the list who are independent from the government include members of the royalty and high profile judges.

Most of the cars were Mercedez Benz, while others include expensive makes such as BMW, Jaguar, Audi, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Honda.

According to the list, the cheapest car sold was a 1994 Honda Accord at RM8,000.

National carmaker Proton however, did not make the list.

Normal process

In a separate report, the daily said the list indicates that Ng had bought a Mercedes Benz ML320 in August 2004 for RM50,000.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ng said the procurement of the care was done through a "normal process" and a large sum had to be spent to make the car, a 1998 model, road worthy, added the daily.

The list comes in the wake of stinging allegations of corruption by the Customs Department by backbencher Mohd Said Yusof (BN-Jasin), over 'special deals' given to friends and contacts at palaces and government departments to curry favours such as 'Datuk' titles.

Presently, the Customs Department disposes of confiscated vehicles through four methods - open tender, selling off as scrap, donations to institutions of higher learning or by selling to certain individuals.

Those entitled to get the cars under the fourth category include senior civil servants who are nearing retirement age, members of Parliament, state assembly representatives and contacts at the palaces.