In a police report filed in Raub, Pahang, the officer said he was in charge of the 4WD vehicle.

“I had said that the vehicle belongs to the Pahang Forestry Department but the YB (deputy minister) asked for the keys and handed it to his assistant to take traditional music instruments to a neighbouring village less than 1 km away.

“After driving it for one hour, the assistant handed back the keys to me and told me that the vehicle had been stopped by Barisan Nasional supporters,” he said in the report sighted by FMT.

The officer said he lodged the report to defend his actions and to explain why he had surrendered the department’s vehicle to someone else.

Raub police has confirmed the report was lodged, adding that it had been referred to the Lipis police headquarters.

Meanwhile, Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister A Xavier Jayakumar said he has instructed that an internal investigation be carried out into alleged abuse of government vehicles by his deputy in the Cameron Highlands by-election.

“I have asked for an internal investigation by the ministry.

“I have instructed the secretary-general to find out the details from the Forestry Department director-general and Pahang Forestry Department director to report back to me.

“After getting the reports, I will see what decisions have to be made,” Bernama quoted him as saying during a working visit to a sewage treatment plant in Kuala Lumpur today

Previously, the Barisan Nasional-led Pahang state government accused PH of misusing a state-owned 4WD vehicle it loaned to a deputy minister for his official use.

“After being affixed with several logos of a political party, I have ordered the vehicle to be returned immediately,” Pahang state secretary Salehuddin Ishak said this week.

Electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 has urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the matter.