The government is overpaying for its new fleet of Proton Perdana official vehicles, claimed Kampar MP Ko Chung Sen.

 

Ko said the government's move to rent the vehicles instead of purchasing them means the taxpayers are receiving the short end of the stick.

 

In a parliamentary written reply to Ko, the Finance Ministry said the government is spending RM3,284.84 a month for the rental of the Proton Perdana Baharu 2.4 Executive and RM2,892.32 for a Proton Perdana Baharu 2.0 Standard.

 

"This works out as RM197,090.40 per car for the 2.4 executive after five years and RM173.539.20 for the 2.0 standard," Ko told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

 

In contrast, Ko said the Perak government in March this year purchased 12 new Proton Perdana for only RM115,000 each.

 

"Surely it does not make sense to lease a car that would cost more than buying within five years," he said.

 

3,000 units to be rented

According to the written reply, the government is presently paying rent for 200 units of Proton Perdana which it has received.

 

The government is expected to be renting 3,000 such vehicles when all deliveries are complete.

 

For the first 200 vehicles, the Finance Ministry said it was paying RM656,968 a month.

 

Ko also highlighted an earlier written reply to him from June, which showed a special edition of the new Proton Perdana, used by the prime minister and his deputy, cost RM295,000 respectively.

 

Those were the only two vehicles that were purchased by the government while all others were rented

 

The DAP lawmaker questioned the price tag, stating that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng ( left ) had paid a similar price to purchase a Mercedes-Benz S Class, at RM298,263.75.

 

The special edition Proton Perdana for the country's top two leaders are customised limousines.

 

Ko also echoed BN's Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokthar Radin's criticism of Proton for not coming up with its own vehicle design.

 

Bung had earlier today slammed Proton for duplicating the designs of Japanese vehicle, stating that he was hugely "ashamed" that the national car maker's vehicles were "Japanese" in spirit.

Related stories

PM: No turning back for GST implementation

Civil servants praised for creating billionaires  

Consumers to hit streets again as fares go up

Pua: Will 1MDB change accountants, again?

PKR blasts move to reduce PTPTN loans