PM AIMS FOR NEW NATIONAL CAR
‘We want to start a new project in partnership with other countries’
MALAYSIA plans to start a new national car project, in partnership with other countries in the region, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday.
Speaking at the 24th Nikkei Conference here, the prime minister said Proton was no longer a national car because a substantial stake in the company was owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
“Our ambition is to start another national car, perhaps in partnership with other countries in the region,” he said at a dialogue session at the conference.
Dr Mahathir said Japan, South Korea and Thailand were some of the countries in the region that had expertise in manufacturing automobiles.
The prime minister was asked about Malaysia’s potential new growth industries, and how foreign investors would fit into that scenario.
“We may have to depend on foreign partners in the beginning, but eventually we hope our people can master the technology themselves.”
At another dialogue with foreign correspondents at Japan’s National Press Club, Dr Mahathir said in the 20-over years that Malaysia had worked with Mitsubishi Motor Corp, it had acquired most of the skills and technology with regards to the design and production of a new car.
“However, there are certain parts of the car which are extremely expensive to develop. We may want to source some of these expensive parts from other countries, including from Japan.”
The government should proceed with public transportation projects, such as High-Speed Rail and MRT3 projects, instead of wanting to start another national car company and re-implementing protectionist measures that will only burden the people with higher car prices and financing costs, said Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“During my time as prime minister, I made it a priority to reduce car prices by a gradual reduction in taxes and by introducing incentives while expanding public transportation projects.
“As a result, car prices now cost less than when I first became PM, while usage of public transportation has surged,” he said in a Facebook posting yesterday.
Najib said in the long run, such measures to correct a legacy problem of the past would benefit the people to the tune of hundreds of billions of ringgit, while providing a more efficient, more cost effective, less congested and less polluting transportation options.
“Do not cancel such public transportation projects just because I started them and reverting to projects merely based on pride that will cause greater harm to the rakyat.”