Kelantan MB Bought A RM600K Car That's Fancier Than Tun M's Proton Perdana

Photos of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, bearing the car number "DV 1", went viral yesterday, 15 January. 

One of the photos shows that the number plate has a sign above it that reads "Menteri Besar Kelantan".

According to Mercedes-Benz Malaysia's website, the S450 L AMG retails at RM699,888 - a drastic contrast compared to the Prime Minister's RM127,000 2.4L Proton Perdana.

A source from the state government has confirmed with Malaysiakini that the vehicle is indeed the Menteri Besar's new vehicle.

"We want to know the source of funds that was used to buy the new Mercedes for the Menteri Besar," Malaysiakini quoted Husam as saying.

"Was it paid using petroleum royalty?" Husam questioned, referring to the one-off RM400 million financial aid Putrajaya gave the Kelantan government on 25 December last year.

Malay Mail reported that Kelantan is one of the poorest states in Malaysia. In July 2019, Rural Development Deputy Minister R Sivarasa said seven out of 28 poorest districts in the country are in Kelantan.

The RM400 million fund was given to the state to improve the socio-economy and the well-being of the people there.

The statement, published on Ahmad's Facebook page on Wednesday, refuted the accusation that the state government used the RM400 million to buy a fleet of Mercedes-Benz.

It said that the decision to replace old cars was made by Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah on 12 September 2018.

"The state government has decided to replace the official vehicle for the use of the Mentri Besar and the state excos in stages after reviewing older vehicles, which have been used for the past 10 to 12 years," the statement read.

It also clarified that the car number "DV 1" was used by Ahmad's predecessor, the late Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, whose official vehicle was also a Mercedes-Benz gifted by the then Sultan of Kelantan.