DRB-HICOM TO STUDY ASEAN CAR PLAN
DRB-HICOM says discussions on matter will help iron out details
DRB-HICOM Bhd, Proton Holdings Bhd’s parent, said it is studying the proposed Asean car collaboration between Malaysia and Indonesia.
DRB-HICOM managing director Datuk Seri Syed Faisal Albar said discussions on the matter were imminent.
He said Proton and an Indonesian company had signed a memorandum of understanding on the joint venture in 2015 when Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the national carmaker’s chairman.
Syed Faisal, who is also Proton chairman, said the discussions would iron out the details needed to make the Asean car a reality.
“We will proceed with the discussion,” he said after meeting the Council of Eminent Persons, here, yesterday.
Also present was Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Dr Li Chunrong.
On Dr Mahathir’s plan for another national car, Syed Faisal said the government needed to recognise Proton and Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd as national carmakers regardless of whether the companies were operated externally or privately.
He said if all parties were to work together, it would be easier to return Proton to its former glory.
“The banking institutions, vendors and distributors must work together to ensure that Proton keeps its position as a national car company.”
Syed Faisal said Zhejiang Geely Holding Group had invited Dr Mahathir to visit the company’s facilities in China next month.
He also gave the assurance that the launch of Proton’s sport utility vehicle (SUV) would take place as scheduled in October.
On the meeting with the Council of Eminent Persons, Syed Faisal said they talked about the future technology offered by Geely.
“Dr Mahathir likes the SUV that we loaned him earlier, which shows that he has confidence in Geely’s technology in Proton.”