In a written state assembly reply, chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state bought 15 top-spec Camry 2.5 AV cars for top officials, including executive councillors and the speaker.

He said the cars, manufactured and assembled in Thailand, cost RM220,789 each.

He was responding to Lim Guan Eng (PH-Air Putih) who wanted to know the number of cars, as well as their makes and cost, which had been purchased for Penang’s exco members.

Chow told reporters later the cars were delivered on March 4 and were meant for the 10 state executive councillors, three ex-officio members, the state assembly speaker and the deputy speaker.

In 2019, the state government spent RM2.77 million to replace its fleet of 2013 Toyota Camry 2.5V cars with 15 new Japan-assembled units of the same model.

At that time, the state government said the Camrys cost RM184,912.50 after a discount, citing lower maintenance costs and improved safety features as reasons for the upgrade.

The older cars had exceeded their warranty and racked up average service costs of RM11,030 per vehicle over six years.

In 2021, the state government bought a new official car for the chief minister – a Mercedes-Benz S560e costing RM458,000 – to replace his older 2013 model of the same make and type.

The state secretary’s office said the purchase, approved in late 2019, came with a RM127,765 discount. The car replaced a Mercedes S300L bought in 2013 for RM298,263.

The state defended the upgrade as necessary for safety and security.