Opposition, stop harping on the Vellfire for ministers

Opposition, stop harping on the Vellfire for ministers



From Johan Megat Zabidi

When the finance ministry on Sunday released a statement that the government had decided to change its fleet of official cars for ministers from the ageing Proton Perdana to Toyota’s Vellfire due to safety and cost benefits, the opposition immediately jumped on the issue.

The move was criticised as unnecessary, and that the savings of a mere RM2.80 per car per month did not justify the switch. The monthly payment for a Toyota Vellfire 2.5L was RM4,851.61 compared with RM4,854.41 for a Proton Perdana 2.4 Premium. The opposition MPs also questioned why the government did not stick with a national car brand.

I don’t see the need for the opposition to pounce on this issue. At the cusp of post-Covid-19 economic recovery and the biggest ever national budget being unveiled at RM332.1 billion, why nitpick and split hairs over RM2.80 when there is a RM332.1 billion package that needs more urgent appraisal?

Aren’t issues like the poor public reception to the Covid-19 booster shots or the plight of the B40 more important than that?

Is the opposition trying to score cheap political points by stoking sentiments because of the upcoming Melaka and Sarawak elections? Surely they can harp on more substantive topics.

Former finance minister Lim Guan Eng recently revealed that the former Pakatan Harapan government decided against changing the Perdana fleet, but that was back in January 2020 and two administrations ago.

It has been almost two years since, and during this time these highly-used vehicles have seen much more wear and tear.

Would he have made the same decision today if he were still in power, and put up with hefty maintenance costs and constant breakdowns?

Any average consumer would say that it makes perfect sense to acquire — especially at the same cost or less — a reliable, newer car than to retain a worn-out vehicle that will inevitably end up more frequently in the workshops than on the roads.

Have critics also forgotten that the Perdana is no longer in production?

Besides, it is not unusual for members of the executive to be assigned non-national car brands for their official duties.

For example, in Kelantan, the executive councillors use Mercedes Benz. In January this year, the Penang chief minister was also given a RM458,000 Mercedes S560e as his official car. Previously, all executive councillors in the PH-controlled state government were assigned a Toyota Camry each.

So, for the opposition to question the federal government’s decision due to national pride is hypocritical. Besides, Proton is no longer seen as a national brand following the takeover of a sizable stake by Chinese carmaker Geely. This was admitted by no less than former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the man behind Proton.

Furthermore, ministers need to be accorded official vehicles that befit their stature, whether we personally like them or not.

Also, please bear in mind that ministers are not the only ones meant to be in these vehicles, as they may be accompanied by civil servants, security personnel and the occasional local or foreign official.

In any case, the Vellfire is not in the same class as a Maserati or a Porsche, which would by general standards be considered extravagant. In fact, it is not uncommon to see upper middle-class Malaysian families owning a Vellfire.

To me, the Vellfire issue is a non-starter. Certain quarters are just trying to build a flimsy house of cards alleging that the government ministers are self-serving or incompetent.

These attacks will only crash into brick walls for all the reasons stated above. All the while, the precious time and effort could be better spent on more credible issues that address the rakyat’s real needs.