February 07, 2009 16:38 PM

Lexus SUV Is My Official Car - Selangor MB

SHAH ALAM, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said today that his official car is a Lexus SUV and it is used for official business only.

The Lexus SUV was not his personal vehicle and when he was on personal business, he would use another vehicle, he said responding to a claim that he had misused state funds to maintain the vehicle.

"That (the Lexus), I have declared as the Menteri Besar official car. I do not use it all the time and for personal use I use another car.

"It's normal practice for the Treasury to approve allocations for the maintenance of cars for the purpose of official business," he told reporters at his official residence here Saturday.

Early this week, the Anti-Corruption Movement (Gerak) and Selangor Umno Youth lodged reports with the Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) claiming Khalid had misused public funds to finance the cost of maintenance and purchase of vehicle accessories and spareparts for a Lexus bearing registration number WQR 779.

"I have asked my lawyer to look at it (the reports) with regard of the use of information that could be defamatory, and at the same time I have asked the state finance director to write a report so that we will make everything very transparent.

"You only know one part of the story and you make unnecessary allegation," Khalid said.

Asked why he does not use the Toyota Camry bought by the state government as the official car, he said: "I am more comfortable with the Lexus."

On former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo's refusal to apologise and retract his remarks pertaining to the Lexus and purchase of 46 head of cattle during last year's Aidiladha celebration, he said: "We can go to court, no problem. After seven days we will go straight to court.

On Wednesday, Khalid served a letter of demand through lawyer S.N. Nair for Dr Khir to apologise and retract all his allegations which were published by Utusan Malaysia on Jan 23 and New Straits Times on Jan 15.

Nair had said that if Dr Khir failed to reply within seven days, he would file a suit.

-- BERNAMA

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