Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has had his say on Proton’s current situation, where the national carmaker is currently evaluating foreign strategic partner bids from China’s Geely and France’s PSA Group. To no one’s surprise, the “father of Proton” is against the idea of ceding control of the carmaker to foreign parties, even blaming the current PM for Proton’s predicament.
Now, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has aired his thoughts on the matter, defending the government’s proposal for Proton to have a foreign partner. Proton must look for a strategic partner, but this does not mean the company is being sold to foreigners, he said, reported by The Star.
“This (finding a partner) is so there will be an injection of new technology and a larger market. When there is a larger volume of sales, there will be more jobs in Pekan and Tanjung Malim. The people are the ones who will benefit from this,” Najib reasoned at the opening of the Negaraku: Komuniti 1Malaysia programme in Pekan over the weekend.
“We do not play using emotions and fake news. We do what is best for the people,” he added, saying that a former leader had committed many mistakes in the handling of Proton. “I do not want to talk about it, but we want to fix it,” the PM said.
For a recap of the current situation and Tun M’s views on the matter, click here.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
The comments reflect strong support for Proton's need for strategic foreign partnerships, with many emphasizing that past efforts were hindered by internal management issues, cronyism, and political interference. Several critics blame the government and leaders like Mahathir, Najib, and TDM for past mismanagement, quality issues, and financial drain from continuous bailouts. There is a consensus that Proton’s failure largely stems from low-quality products, outdated technology, and lack of innovation, compounded by internal culture problems. Many commenters believe that a partnership with Geely or PSA could rejuvenate Proton through technological transfer, cost efficiencies, and improved product quality, but some worry about job losses or loss of national pride. Overall, sentiments favor a pragmatic approach of collaboration over continued internal struggles, with hopes for improved competitiveness and sustainability.