KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said hit back at critics who rebuked him for purchasing 14 Mercedes Benzes to be used as state official cars.

"You can go to some of the cabinet ministers' houses. I am sure you will see Mercedes Benz cars in their garages."

Defiantly, he said all the menteris besar in other states knew that the official Proton Perdana V6 Executive cars were faulty, but did not want to admit it.

"I am not a hypocrite, I am telling the truth. I am being transparent here. Proton should see this in a positive light and improve itself.

"I have to think of how to save the rakyat's money. Ask any engineer around and they will tell you that the Mercedes E200 Kompressors are more economical in the long run," he said before chairing the weekly state exco meeting at a five-star hotel here yesterday.

Ahmad sparked an outcry last week with the revelation of the state's RM3.43 million expenditure on the Mercedes as a "cost-cutting measure".

He later said that the gearbox and fuel consumption of the Perdana were the main cost culprits, and that the cars would be given away to other government departments.

Yesterday, he also said that the state government had spent RM1.15 million to maintain its fleet of 16 Perdana since they were purchased in 2004.

Former menteri besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh himself had spent nearly RM131,600 in maintaining his Perdana this year, in the two months that he was head of the state government.

Ahmad said the cost of maintenance for the Perdana here was low because "all the officials in Kuala Lumpur do is use it to get to the airport".

"Politicians in the city can use the helicopter. I still have to drive, even to get from Kuala Terengganu to Kemaman."

He also questioned the need for an electronic media organisation to call for an SMS poll for viewers' reaction regarding the issue.

He added that he personally had not changed his official car, an 18-year-old Mercedes Benz, saying that it was still in good condition.

"Kalau bini masih cantik, buat apa tukar?" (If the wife is still beautiful, why change?)