The news that all bidders in the running to be Proton’s foreign strategic partner (FSP) are still present and accounted for indicates that many parties want to take the Malaysian automaker to the global market, according to geostrategist Azmi Hassan, as told to Bernama.
A range of details need to be “thrashed out” at this stage of negotiations between DRB-Hicom, the owner of Proton, and the foreign bidders, he said. “Ensuring the leap for Proton from a local player to a global market brings into play many dimensions such as technology, platforms, new models and much higher volume manufacturing,” Azmi told Bernama.
Azmi’s comments come after DRB-Hicom group managing director’s announcement that all automakers that submitted a bid are still present, denying reports that Proton is now left with just one international bidder, following news of Geely pulling out of its bid. The other automaker is Groupe PSA.
Azmi believs that the RM1.5 billion soft loan Proton received from the Malaysian government had hefty conditions attached to it, including the relocation of all manufacturing to a central hub in Tanjung Malim, according to the report. He also added that Geely was just a domestic brand in its native China, until it purchased Volvo which allowed it to double its earnings.
“On top of this, Geely’s net profit surged by 126%, its biggest profit growth in eight years, and its share price has trebled over the past 12 months. And under Geely, Volvo has had a resurgence in selling cars globally compared to previously. On top of that, the China car maker also bought the London Taxi Co and their line-up of cars in China are actually world class, as much as PSA of France is big and is a strong contender for Proton,” continued Azmi.
It is very crucial that Proton has a foreign strategic partner that has a solid business model and a vast market, as it would otherwise be very difficult for Proton to further expand into the Asian market, he said.
“It is also very important for Proton to decide on its partner without any political pressure. It should only be based on a commercially correct decision,” he added, also saying that Proton’s future partner should be decided on a win-win basis, and that all sides ought to lend support to the partnership.
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Yawn………….!
Top 5 global carmakers fighting to buy Proton!
Geostrategist giving false hope to Proton.
Joke of the year.
This is pure kelentong. Geely boss already told world media they don’t want. It seems Proton tarik harga and thought their car was like Rolls Royce.
Geely ran away so fast. Now Proton cannot admit it. Trying to lie through their nose and trying to kelentong PSA that Geely also want them.
Hello Proton, French are not stupid lah. They also know Geely ran away.
You keep repeating the same thing. Dont you feel bored? Find a life Mr.
He is paid no brain keyboard warrior with many different names in this blog. Shame.
Shame is borrowing 1.5 bil and not returning it. See who are the defaulters in Malaysia and you will understand why
Please respect all readers, avoid politics. Stir issues here do not help.
Just close down the junk company and ask the workers to find new jobs like other people search in jobstreet
I hope Proton stop lying to the people
Saya malu kete nasional saya kaki bohong
I seen many similar posts at PT blog. A lot just bashing for nothing.
Proton just keep sucking our money
Someone butthurt coz kena kantoi, malu betul.
A loan is a loan no matter what happens has to be paid.
Proton repeat the same thing for more than 30yrs. Everybody felt bored. Just close shop.
As long as proton keeps repeating the same mistake, nothing changes.
VW come, they eksyen think VW need them so badly, demand to protek this crony, protek that crony.
Geely come, they eksyen think Geely need them so badly, demand to protek this crony, protek that crony.
They really think they’re so valuable like that? VW and Geely walk away la, they got better things to do, such as busy making money instead of protekting some cronies.
Albert, people are fed up with your rants and complaints. If you think you can run a better company why not open up one selling Kuntamoto cars
Typical failure attitude. Sweep things under carpet. And make citizens suffer keeping plotong alive
I am fed up with people like you who cannot admit Proton company already failed and bankerap. Still take our money
You ada bayar tax bang?
We proud with Malaysian that have a good business spirit. Do you a car company better than proton?
So shameful kerajaan and Proton got to pay people to puji Proton and tell us how great Proton will be
too many lies the past 30 yrs. People don’t know what to bilip
DRB told Geely that Proton is SAME and BETTER quality than BMW and Volvo.
DRB also say our Menteris already confirm this fact.
Geely laugh and laugh and laugh
No hope. Still with old CamPro VVT engine and Punch CVT bising transmission!
I think you should stop publish any story with regards to Proton and its potential foreign strategic partner. It is just not interesting anymore and not many give a damn on whats going to happen next.
Agreed. PT, just drop this until something concrete has been finalised. Such news are not ‘news’!!
DRB is simply trying to prop up their share price with this so called “good news”. It is an offense under Securities Commission rulings as well as Bursa Malaysia regulations.
Anyway Proton and Geely are North pole and South pole when attitude and work ethics are concerned. It is like asking Fat Albert (Proton) to run with Usain Bolt (Geely)
Let us face facts, Geely works very fast. They are the Usain Bolt of car industry. They only started in 1998 and yet, they got so much of money to buy Volvo and London Black Cab in cash. They run so fast that they made so much of money to even inject Volvo with USD12 BILLION (RM55 BILLION)
You think they can slow down to Fat Albert’s speed?
Cerita copy and paste. Tolong makan ubat encik.
tolong berkerja kuat ye. Jangan tido selalu
Contoh curi tulang masa kerja
Azmi forgot also to mention, even if there is a marriage, how long can the marriage last?
Proton workers used to the lifestyle of relax and lepak. Production is so low. Even proven fact that Proton has a big tuancy problem. Workers don’t turn up for work all the time.
Geely and PSA workers are so hardworking. How they going to reconcile this? Geely boss will pengsan when he sees Proton workers all lepak and tido in the plant.
How are they going to run when 20 years they have not been running?
Same old story. Please grow up.
Malu betul, dah 30 tahum masih perlu tongkat
Malu betul, dah 30 tahun masih perlu tongkat
How sure are you?
You have seen it.
Can’t speak of Rnd, Management etc. but the production line workers, engineers and all are still following the Japanese style. Not 100% but the Japanese culture is still there. I have a friend working there and he has to be on time or the boss will have to answer for his lateness.
Another article write up to boost Proton share!
since when Proton got share in stock market?
check this DRBHCOM
Takde agenda lain nak spin lettew
just announce the name already. TALK TALK TALK!!!!
DRB Hicom cepat bayar balik hutang 1.5B !!!
Look at above post basher said :
“Shame is borrowing 1.5 bil and not returning it. See who are the defaulters in Malaysia and you will understand why”
So much slendering nowadays, haih
Great Minds Think Alike.
MAI Madani, Dr Irwan Shah, Second FM Johari, Deputy MITI Hamim & PM orso said the same.
Who next?
Bungkus or sell lah.. either way no more Proton. Obviously Malaysia is strategically the most important manufacturing and sales car market in SEA.
Takata ady killed pipu you dun tell to close shop pulak.
Topkek
Fry fry the news.
Lets face it. Its only Proton’s assets that the suitors are interested in. The brand itself is pretty much “useless” in the international market. Basically, just Lotus and Tanjung Malim.
i love how DRB still is up-playing the news that of a win win situation, but in reality, there is no win in Proton as a brand, just its crony owners.
A GLC that does not have political pressure or influence? Right.
Susah-susah, tukar aje kilang proton jd kilang buat kretek.Permintaan tinggi kat sini. Indon ramai.
Jealousy is so high in here
Jgn gitu bang… nanti Rokok lain jd mahal plak. Kihkikihki
Proton will only take you to the service centres la
Another tin kosong coffee shop talk.
Here everyone is kan cheong & looking forward to the new FSP but management of P1 still arrogant , dragging their feet with tidak apa attitude while everyday P1 is losing money & heading south but why bother. management fat paychecks still jalan & loses is tanggung by next company.
Relax lah bro kita kena satu lagi teh tarik.
Whateva…
tunggu tutup saja la
Tutup sekali that jepunis killer airbag company
syarikat tongsan not stupid, they not gonna buy a company which will drag them down unless they get total control over it
Talk is cheap
Which means the French company is a fool to buy it.
lol….its proven that western M&A has failed. ford failed miserably with jaguar land rover and volvo. look at them under india and china leadership. meanwhile look at all the projects by GM….which ended up in them selling off Opel to PSA
Not exactly Western M&A. If based on the stats & history, foreign brands owned by the Americans are mostly ended up on low notes , e.g Saab Cars demise (GM), Premier Automotive Group flop (Ford) and the lastest one Opel/Vauxhall sold off (GM). But foreign brands owned/co-owned by the Europeans mostly ended up in success stories e.g Renault-Nissan Alliance and the Mini brand success under BMW & Skoda brand success under VW. So in Proton’s case, both PSA & Geely have their own strong points. But I’ll go PSA..
Hell no. Peug edi has bad reputation thanks to their low quality and Naza pathetic after sales.
Good luck to future proton owners. Knowing PSA’s super cost-cutting style, quality down the drain (not like proton has much in the first place), and proton will truly lack independence.
Geely has way bigger resource, and way better access to technology thanks to Volvo.
Proton are more likely to maintain their independence too. It’s evident Geely plans for Proton to become their budget range, while their own brand is mid range and Volvo their luxury range. Lotus too will finally be able to truly unlock its potential with massive resource of Geely.
Geely already proven itself with successful transformation of Volvo. PSA’s takeover of Vauxhall/Opel will be their litmus test to see how competent they are, and because it’s so recent and way more important than proton, PSA’s resource will largely be focused here.
If p1 is only in budget range it won’t make it luxury as Volvo, not even as mid-rangers.
So what’s your point? If take Geely, P1 turns to be budget range, same goes with PSA.
The Proton name by itself sound nice and appropriate as a car brand. Unfortunately it has much negativism attached to it locally.
so many comments….hahaha
Just curious here, what if Proton sold to someone else…how is our country pricing for other cars? We no longer need to protect Proton, still tax kow kow for other car?
Why not? We need to dis-incentivise pipu from using cars instead of public transport. I say keep the taxes higher and pump the money into more public transport.
Are you Malaysian? You think all the taxes go into public transport and a lot doesn’t go into handbags?
Up to u, if u wanna belip fake news. I belip what I see.
Just post the story once the decision has been made. Boring all same jalan cerita.
“Foreign interest will take Proton global – geostrategist”
Sure or not? More like the foreign interest will be dragged down to Proton’s local standard, unloved and loathed.
April Fool’s joke, 2 days late.
Trying very hard to beg Geely to come back. They are a SUCCESSFUL global manufacturer who saw through your village delusions of grandeur.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
This is the karma to Proton….for cheating swindle hard-earn-money of Rakyat….Selling milo-tin car at exorbitant price.
The worst is yet to come to Proton….
5 star ANCAP dun deserve milo-tin car title, unless you are out of your mind
Omg we don’t know that mr geostrategist. So genius.
Proton….white white white elephant bleeding the rakyat’s taxdollar.Shambolic.Disgusting.
Dear Proton, they are not interested in bringing the brand global, they just want your factories… out of 100 probably let you produce 1 proton for local markets, 99 Geely/PSA for export… business is business…
PSA to take over proton?
will it end like tiara and Savy?
volvo its doing great in term of R&D and product design.
forget about politic issue and make us a nice car,
we are suffering in too much tax, for almost 30 years.
Geely bought volvo because volvo cars are have higher tech to offer Geely, while geely can inject cost cutting measures to volvo to make it profitable. What has proton have to offer Geely? In what way proton will benefit geely? Why would Geely want to buy something lowsier than itself?
Geely makes a good strategic business decision sit back and watch DRB Hicom playout. DRB think they have political mileage for request the Govt for an extension to the loan repayment blame the fallout of this deal based on foreign partners do not comply with their terms and conditions. DRB need more time to find new partners that the cycle they are hoping and our Govt go broke cannot recover the 1.5B loan.