We refer to the Malaysiakini report Nizar: Let court decide on Camry .

The Perak government's decision to auction off the 16 Toyota Camrys used by the other state administration is cause for concern.

This is because it appears to be only the latest in a series of stunts employed by both sides in the state's political feud in a bid to trump each other.

The people of Perak, whose interests the political parties claim to be fighting for, will not see the benefit in such moves, for there is none.

The auctioning off of the Camrys at a significant loss, barely a few months after they were purchased, will be a regrettable waste of public funds.

This wastefulness is all the more painful when seen against the hardships Perakians face in the current period of global financial crisis.

Through no fault of theirs, the people find themselves caught in the middle of the bitter political power struggle in the state.

With the competing parties directing their energies at outmanoeuvring one another, the man-on- the-street is increasingly left to fend for himself as he struggles with a raft of economic insecurities.

State assets and resources should be used to serve the needs of the public instead of being treated like pawns in a petty game of political one-upmanship.

Sleek Camrys or no, the people must not be taken for a ride.

The writer is president, Consumers Association of Penang.