‘Project will be private-sector driven’

TOKYO: Malaysia’s new national car project will be undertaken under different circumstances than its predecessor Proton, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

It would be private-sector driven, and should create opportunities for skilled Malaysians in the automotive sector, he said.

“When we started the Proton project, we had no knowledge about how to build cars.

“But now, after more than 25 years, we have the knowledge to design, build and mass-produce cars. We have acquired that knowledge,” Dr Mahathir said at a press conference here yesterday.

He said after a substantial stake in Proton was sold to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd, many Malaysians in the automotive sector were not making use of their skills.

“We need to create opportunities for engineers to do things on their own in Malaysia.

“Quite a lot of Malaysian engineering companies had to close down because they could not supply according to the demands of the new owners or managers of Proton. We need to revive them,” he said.

Dr Mahathir, who is on a threeday working visit to Japan, said the idea of investing in a national car was not just about building the car.

“It is about becoming a catalyst for growing the Malaysian engineering capability. That was what happened when we built Proton.

“A lot of people — Malays, Chinese and Indians — produced component parts for Proton.

“If we make them more efficient, this is a very big market.

“All over the world, people are outsourcing parts of cars. We can produce parts for branded cars in Malaysia and export. That will earn us a lot of foreign exchange.”

However, he said, the government would not compromise with those who were given licences, but then sold them to others for quick profit.

“If you give a licence to someone, that person must do the work.

“If he is found to be selling the licence to somebody else, we’ll take back the licence,” Dr Mahathir said.