WHILE there has been a public uproar over the Terengganu state government’s decision to buy 14 Mercedes Benzes for its state executive councillors and other officials, one can forgive it for changing the officials’ cars from Proton Perdanas.

Motorists who have used any national car model will be familiar with the litany of complaints heard or read about in the mainstream media on how the vehicles have many shortcomings which affect their performance.

Windows which malfunction after some time, door knobs which break if pulled too hard, gearboxes which give trouble after a few years – the list goes on.

If a survey was conducted of people not satisfied with the national car, I am sure a majority would regret having chosen the vehicle as a symbol of national pride over a foreign car.

Although it is morally wrong for the state government to switch from the national car to a foreign product in view of the government’s austerity drive, it does call into question the quality of our national cars.

Proton’s top management needs to seriously look at this matter as surely after more than two decades, the quality control of our national cars should be on par with that of imported vehicles.

The Terengganu state government should follow the example of other states which don’t change vehicles at their whim and fancy as taxpayers’ money is involved here.

After all, if the prime minister and his cabinet colleagues can use the Perdana Executive as their official cars, why should state exco members be exempted from using national cars?

Hamdan Ibrahim
Kuala Lumpur

Source: The Sun – July 23, 2008