logo
Penang govt replaces Toyota Camry as its fleet vehicle

Penang govt replaces Toyota Camry as its fleet vehicle

The Sun22-05-2025

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has replaced its aging fleet with 15 new Toyota Camry 2.5V (AT) (CBU) cars to reduce rising maintenance costs, which currently average RM42,144 per vehicle.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that, as a matter of policy, vehicles for Exco members and senior officials are typically replaced every six years.
The current fleet was purchased in 2019, following the initial replacement cycle that began in 2013.
'The older vehicles are still in use, primarily for carpooling among officers who require transportation. The vehicles are not being sold or left unused,' he said during his winding-up speech on the opening address by the Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, at today's state legislative assembly.
He added that the state government has spent nearly RM650,000 on maintaining these cars over their service period.
Last Tuesday, Chow confirmed the procurement of 15 Toyota Camrys by the state government at a total cost of RM3.31 million, inclusive of sales tax and excise duties, equivalent to RM220,783 per unit.
Ten are allocated to Exco members, three to former officials, and one each to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The vehicles were handed over on April 4.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bus drivers struggle on RM700 basic pay, rely on overtime
Bus drivers struggle on RM700 basic pay, rely on overtime

New Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • New Straits Times

Bus drivers struggle on RM700 basic pay, rely on overtime

KUALA LUMPUR: With a basic salary as low as RM700 a month, or sometimes none, bus drivers depend heavily on travel allowances and overtime, often sacrificing their days off just to cover living expenses. A 34-year-old tour bus driver, who only wished to be known as Mior, said he relied entirely on commissions and the distance travelled, based on his customers' requests. "My basic salary is only RM700 a month. I receive a 15 per cent commission for each bus rental, while the remaining 85 per cent goes to the employer or tour bus owner. "If I take on many long-distance trips, I can earn up to RM3,000 to RM4,000 a month, with only five or six days off. "But if I take on shorter trips, I earn around RM2,000. "Based on last year's records, the fewest days off I had in a month was three," he said when contacted. Mior earns about RM400 for a trip from Parit to Seri Iskandar, Johor. A journey from Seri Iskandar to Kuala Lumpur, including sightseeing with his passengers, brings in about RM1,800. With a 15 per cent commission per rental, he pockets an additional RM60 for the first trip and RM270 for the latter. However, a 29-year-old bus driver, who only wished to be known as Mamat, claimed his company did not provide any basic salary. "For a trip from Manjung to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), I earn about RM50. I can make around RM100 a day for a return trip. "If I have four days off a month, I earn about RM2,600. If I work without any days off, I can make RM3,000," he said, adding that he still needed to apply for leave whenever necessary. He however said some express bus companies provide a basic salary of RM1,700, including travel allowances. Previously, Bumiputera Bus Operators Association (PPBBM) chairman Zainal Abidin Mehat said some companies allowed their drivers to work up to 28 days a month due to a shortage of drivers. He said the arrangement was mutually agreed upon by both the company and the drivers for their shared benefit. Zainal also said that bus drivers typically earn a basic salary of RM1,700 and have to rely on travel allowances and overtime to supplement their income.

UTM trio develops 24-hour self-service printing solution
UTM trio develops 24-hour self-service printing solution

The Sun

time2 hours ago

  • The Sun

UTM trio develops 24-hour self-service printing solution

JOHOR BAHRU: What began as a trivial issue - printing assignments outside regular hours - became the driving force behind an innovative venture by three Universiti Teknologi Malaysia students, who developed PrintTEX, a self-service kiosk offering round-the-clock printing access. Through their startup, Uninet Teknologi Enterprise, the trio from the Faculty of Computing and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering – Fikri Akmal Aizuddin Bahrim, 23, as Chief Executive Officer; Iqmal Aizat Mohd Zamri, 23, as Chief Technology Officer; and Low Lie Xin, 25, as Chief Operating Officer – began operating the kiosk in December 2023. Fikri Akmal Aizuddin, a final-year computer science student, said the kiosk is complemented by the PrintTEX mobile app, which offers on-demand printing services with rates as low as RM0.20 for black and white and RM0.45 for colour prints. 'The PrintTEX app comes with several handy features, such as users being able to find the nearest kiosk, upload documents and make payments online. 'Users just need to install the app, upload their documents, make a minimum payment of RM3, and then head to the kiosk to scan the QR code and print straight away,' he said when met by Bernama here.\ Fikri Akmal Aizuddin said they first developed a basic prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) in August 2023 using their own funds, which covered development costs, hardware such as printers, storage systems and other electronic components. He shared that with full support from the UTM Centre for Student Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship, his team successfully secured RM30,000 from the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) to assist with system development, documentation, and company registration. 'We developed the entire system ourselves, from the mobile app and integration platform to printer configuration and payment management. It took us around six months for the research and development and another month or two to build the first unit,' he said. Currently, two PrintTEX kiosks are available at the UTM Skudai campus – one in the 24-hour Study Room at the Sultanah Zanariah Library and another at Arked Lestari – while a third unit is operating outside Johor at UNISEL Bestari Jaya in Selangor. The company has also been approached by two higher education institutions under MARA that have expressed interest in allocating space for the installation of the Internet of Things (IoT)-based kiosk at their campuses.

PrintTEX: UTM trio develops 24-hour self-service printing solution
PrintTEX: UTM trio develops 24-hour self-service printing solution

The Sun

time2 hours ago

  • The Sun

PrintTEX: UTM trio develops 24-hour self-service printing solution

JOHOR BAHRU: What began as a trivial issue - printing assignments outside regular hours - became the driving force behind an innovative venture by three Universiti Teknologi Malaysia students, who developed PrintTEX, a self-service kiosk offering round-the-clock printing access. Through their startup, Uninet Teknologi Enterprise, the trio from the Faculty of Computing and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering – Fikri Akmal Aizuddin Bahrim, 23, as Chief Executive Officer; Iqmal Aizat Mohd Zamri, 23, as Chief Technology Officer; and Low Lie Xin, 25, as Chief Operating Officer – began operating the kiosk in December 2023. Fikri Akmal Aizuddin, a final-year computer science student, said the kiosk is complemented by the PrintTEX mobile app, which offers on-demand printing services with rates as low as RM0.20 for black and white and RM0.45 for colour prints. 'The PrintTEX app comes with several handy features, such as users being able to find the nearest kiosk, upload documents and make payments online. 'Users just need to install the app, upload their documents, make a minimum payment of RM3, and then head to the kiosk to scan the QR code and print straight away,' he said when met by Bernama here.\ Fikri Akmal Aizuddin said they first developed a basic prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) in August 2023 using their own funds, which covered development costs, hardware such as printers, storage systems and other electronic components. He shared that with full support from the UTM Centre for Student Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship, his team successfully secured RM30,000 from the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC) to assist with system development, documentation, and company registration. 'We developed the entire system ourselves, from the mobile app and integration platform to printer configuration and payment management. It took us around six months for the research and development and another month or two to build the first unit,' he said. Currently, two PrintTEX kiosks are available at the UTM Skudai campus – one in the 24-hour Study Room at the Sultanah Zanariah Library and another at Arked Lestari – while a third unit is operating outside Johor at UNISEL Bestari Jaya in Selangor. The company has also been approached by two higher education institutions under MARA that have expressed interest in allocating space for the installation of the Internet of Things (IoT)-based kiosk at their campuses.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store