Austerity drive? You've got to be kidding me

I've been down with a fever, my chest feels like an Alaskan bear is sitting on top of it, I am coughing out more phlegm than a hydroelectric dam and my body temperature is so high, I think it's beginning to contribute to global warming.
However, I have not lost my focus and today my focus is on the German/Malaysian problem which has been cropping up lately. To be specific I am referring to the Mercedes/Proton problem of the Terengganu government.
To anyone who has been living under a rock for the past few weeks, a refresher:

!) Terengganu State Government wins election.

2) Terengganu State Government sworn in.

3) World economy declines and in crisis due to rising food prices and stratospheric prices of
crude oil.

4) Malaysia drastically raises oil price, chopping down subsidies and announcing an
'austerity drive' in order to cut expenditure, shelving projects and so on.

5) Terengganu State Government spends RM3.43 million in buying 14 Mercedes E 200
Kompressor cars for the use of state exco/government.

Now, I may not have a Ph.D but isn't spending RM3.43 million on a fleet of luxury cars is against the 'austerity drive'?
High maintenance costs of the current fleet of Perdana V6s was cited as a reason with the Terengganu State Government saying the measure to buy the Mercedes fleet would be cost effective in the long run.
Now, this story has more than it's fair share of suspicious holes. In fact, this story has more holes than Swiss cheese.

1) Proton has come up with their evidence to say that the maintenance costs for the State owned Perdana V6s amounted to only RM542 per annum, in contrast to the State claim that former MB Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh's Perdana was maintained at a cost of RM 131, 449.83 for four years, coming up to RM 32, 862.45 per annum.

2) One workshop, authorized to maintain the fleet, admitted they imposed a 25% surcharge on the car repair costs because payments were only made three months from the date of the claim.

3) The Prime Minister, going against his austerity drive pledge, okays the car deal, though emphasizing that the Mercedes will only be used for visiting foreign dignitaries and guests of state. (Anyone knows when Queen Elizabeth is visiting Terengganu?)

4) The numbers being thrown about is mind boggling to say the least. People can't sum everything up without a calculator by their side. However, common sense prevails here. National car is cheaper and easier to maintain as spare parts are abundant and even OEM parts are cost effective.

5) Who are the workshop to impose a 25% surcharge? Is it legal to impose such a surcharge? What is the background of the workshop? Who appointed them as authorized service centers? They are strictly a business that won(if open tender and not appointed) a contract (if any) to service the state cars. They should stick to the market rates instead of quoting the prices for the spare parts of the International Space Station.

6) Mercedes? Come on la, be sensible la. (I've switched into my Malaysian linguistics.) If you talk about cost effective and cost cutting, why not use kancil? Why? Not big and flashy enough, aa? Okay, why not use a Japanese sedan? You can get a Camry or Accord for less of the price of the Merc. It is big and flashy enough for the egos of the State government. Why don't use that? Because it is Japanese? Mercedes is German and if you are confused or geographically challenged, Germany is not another state in Malaysia.

7) The austerity drive does not apply in Terengganu? Is PM being hypocritical here? Or is the auterity drive only for Pakatan held states like Penang? Penang's majorly needed transportation projects like the monorail and road is shelved by the government, citing a need to cut expenditure in view of global oil and food crisis. However, Terengganu can feel free to splash RM3.43 million on an unneeded fleet of luxury cars for its state excos and officials. Is this because Terengganu is BN and Penang is Opposition? You can say whatever you want but I remind you we are not innocent wide eyed six year olds sucking on lollipops.

I have to say this. State government should serve the state and its people. It should not serve itself by buying luxury cars with leather seats and German prestige. Does this mean you're proud about Mercedes and not Proton? It is a question of cost, not pride but pride comes at a cost and the cost for the state's pride is RM3.43 million. Any common man on the street would know it would be much cheaper to maintain national made cars instead of Mercedes. Come on, la, you all are wakil rakyats elected by the rakyat to serve the rakyat. To serve the rakyat, you need to be in tune with the rakyat and use the rakyat's cars, i.e Proton instead of using Towkay's cars like Mercedes.
You all wakil rakyat or towkays? Do you NEED the Mercedes? Doesn't the Perdana already serve the objective of transportation? That is to get you to point A and point B. Or do you like the Mercedes's more luxurious, more comfy, more classy and more expensive leather swathed interior? Haihhh... Stop being so materialistic la. Already you have a fleet of car, use it la. So many people suffering from oil prices and you can still see it fit to throw about RM3.43 million? That can only be called arrogance.
The Terengganu MB says case closed once the PM okays the deal. Who is he to say case closed? He was voted by the rakyat. He is answerable to the rakyat. We are the rakyat and we are asking questions now and as such, he must stand up to listen and answer. Do not let the position of power and the tailored power suit cloud your eyes with power. That is not his personal money being used to buy the cars. Itu duit rakyat, hasil titik peluh rakyat, milik rakyat bukan milik MB atau mana-mana individu. Rakyat should be able to know how, where, when, for what and why their money is used. Sehingga sen terakhir, itu adalah duit rakyat dan kalau rakyat Terengganu for some reason do not ask accountability, then rakyat Terengganu are stupid because it is their money being thrown around here.
Lord Acton once said power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We need to get to the bottom of this swirl of Teutonic cars and national madness of wasting money.

To paraphrase a popular saying now,

Zaman dah berubah,
Dunia dah maju,
Tapi BN masih macam dulu.

~~SIGH~~ I need to go take a mega dose of Panadol.