It looks like we might be getting a new national car sometime in the near future, guys!
On the 7th of May 1983, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad made history when he launched Malaysia’s first ever national car brand, Proton, which catapulted the nation’s industry to newer heights, and helped put our country on the map.
However, in 2017, Proton was acquired by a Chinese automotive company, Zhejiang Geely in a deal that was organised by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government. Disappointed by this move, Tun Dr Mahathir strongly protested the deal, saying that Malaysia lost a national icon.
Source: SCMP
Now, according to Free Malaysia Today, the Prime Minister stated at the annual Nikkei conference in Tokyo that he plans to start another national car, and hopes this company will remain under local ownership.
After Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) historic win in last month’s 14th general election, Tun Dr Mahathir mentioned that the new government actually had no intention of buying Proton back from Zhejiang Geely, and that it was up to the owner of Proton, Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, if he wanted to buy the company back.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
As for plans for our new national car, Mahathir stated at the conference,
“Our ambition is to start another national car, perhaps with the help of partners from Southeast Asia like Thailand, Japan or Korea, as they have the capacity to produce good quality cars sellable in the world market.”
Well, it looks like we’ll have to wait and see what’s in store for our possible new national car! What do you think of this move? Let us know in the comments below!
Also read: Proton Will Donate RM10 From Every Car Sold to Tabung Harapan Malaysia
