Here’s another assurance from finance minister Lim Guan Eng that the third national car project proposed by prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will not use public funds. Instead, it will be funded by the private sector, Bernama reports.
“If it comes from private (investments), then there will not be a problem,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply (Reallocation of Appropriated Expenditure) Bill 2018 at the Dewan Rakyat sitting yesterday.
It’s not the first time he had said so. In June, Lim told Channel NewsAsia: “I told the prime minister that we don’t have the money, and he knows it. So it is not from public funds, it’s not like Proton, no. If there are private parties who want to do it in Malaysia using their own money, I think that is something that would be worthwhile looking at – but not from public funds,” he said then.
The new national car topic was first raised by Mahathir at the Nikkei Conference in Tokyo in June, after the PM felt that his beloved Proton is no longer a national car. Despite the idea not being very well received by the majority of Malaysians, including politicians, Mahathir has pressed on.
In another trip to Japan earlier this month, the 93-year old leader revealed that Malaysia will be seeking assistance from Japanese carmakers including Nissan, Toyota and Daihatsu. This is despite the fact that Daihatsu already has operations in Malaysia via Perodua, and Toyota is of course the parent company of Daihatsu.
“Like the first national car, which started with only 18% local content (and cooperation from) Mitsubishi Motor, we were able to master the whole process of building the car, from design to clay-model and test cars. Today, modern technology is based more on sensors and other things. We need to acquire that also. But initially, we want just to build a car first for the Malaysian market, and then for the world market,” Mahathir was quoted as saying earlier.
The review of the National Automotive Policy (NAP) will be completed by the end of the year and will also take into account the proposed new national car.
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Let say what LGE said is true, that this is a private sector investment, will you support this initiative?
And, let say if the tax is now higher and car prices is more expensive, will this still consider a “private sector” investment?
Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar shud bring back cheap Suzuki. Nuff said
Actually I kinda prefer if Sime Darby bring back Suzuki. They already represent the brand in other ASEAN market.
Or maybe Suzuki themselves should consider setting foot here since they already operate motorcycle assembly in Kedah, so why not bring the car division here too?
Suzuki motorcycles business close shop some 2-3 years ago. What’s left is the superbike division, which is all CBU.
Proton also started out that way. Then later on started begging for money. To date Government has given PRoton like RM20 billion bailout money
Those are official figures. Unofficial figures, just double that.
Protiga will start out as private sector then after a while, they will beg for money from gomen
Any Tom Dick and Jamal can start Protiga.
The problem begins when they start asking ” Tun,we have plough hundreds of Juta RM to start protiga,but cant u get LGE to give some R & D grants ? ”
So,like protong, the grants will be used to pay suppliers instead of actual research.
The cycle of bad behavior never ends…so the loser…taxpayers,taken for another ride.
What is the point of tabung Harapan,when u allow protiga to suck taxpayers dry? PH will become Pakatan Halangan very soon.
Lol, you are not the one to make decision leh, seems like someone is controlling the khazanah and pnb fund, so he is the one doing decision, not accountant lim
Money comes from MOF Inc. MOF Inc is incorporated. Deswai he says comes from private sector lor. He never denied money will comes from taxpayer, did he?
it should come out from robert kuok’s and vincent tan’s pockets , not khazanah’s
What happen if opposition say this is sold to Chinese?? Both are Chinese Right even if they are M’sian.
No diff than the then Oppos haranguing the then Gov for selling P1 to Geely lor. Whats fair is fair, the wheels of karma goes around.
Wonder who will be so generous to fund the third national car for such a small market. Imagine a country with 600k per year and for the price range it can be able to compete in it will be around 30% market share that need to compete with proton and perodua.
Even u split the sales equally u only have around 60k sales a year.
How much margin u have for selling this type of entry level car?
Maybe another Arab investor instead of donation.
Arabs wud rather invest in this https://paultan.org/2018/08/14/tesla-looking-to-go-private-with-backing-of-saudi-fund/
Better sell camel here its more profitable than sell Ertiga.
Camel too high taxed and not enough kick, that’s why it losses to Dunhill & Malboro.
If it is using private fund, why still need to protect it? let it compete in the market la… Do not put the burden onto Rakyat…. As we don need national car anyway…
Use whatever fund for all we care. What we care is distortion of car prices to protect the privately funded car project.
OK. FINE.
Private sector funded.
but if the NAP is adjusted to “protect” this private funded 3rd national car by inflating prices of other brands….
sorry, i do not support.
unless you can prove that it is 1)private funded and 2) will not result in “protectionist” policy for other car brands.
Can use private money…. But will government support them and supress other car maker…. Anyway going…people will suffer. No more cheap japan korea china car
made in malaysia then made in malaysia…why must national this national that
Use private money??? LGE PLEASE DONT BULLSHIT!!!
Whats the difference… Perodua : M’sian+Japanese manufacturer… Proton : M’sian+Chinese manufacturer… so called 3rd national Asean car will be M’sian+Indon manufactured. Is it about controlling equity…? This is just TunM ego talking. It is financially not viable nor sustainable.
If talking about private money to finance it… TunM’s sons are wealthy enough… let them finance their fathers delusions.
For me, if its not Govt funding and the prices of current cars taxes and duties to be reduce gradually, why not? I will give support. many disagree but who am i or you to say NO or Yes. :)
Nobita mana boleh caya? Pusing-pusing cakap kuat saja
Tun (& family) should invest and become majority shareholder + CEO. Maybe then we can have the political power + will to ensure the ProTiga will not go down the wrong path as Proton did.
The other benefit will be government will think twice before trying to impose rules that obviously giving unfair advantage (that burden the people) to ProTiga because this will give free bullet for the opposition to attack.
Tun get his wishes and people’s benefit is protected. Win Win situation
whatever business+politics…it will fail…a lot example already…..
Why do people still believe anything that comes out of this guy’s mouth?
He’s been caught with his pants down many times before, it’s not funny anymore.
Just bring in suzuki or rebadge it, bring in the vitara 1.4 turbo and new JIMNY , and i can ensure at least 5k unit sales per month.
Once bitten, twice shy. You think Suzuki want to step here after all the humiliation they suffered? From handling over all their outlets to Proton, thinking they have found a good partner.. Mana tau kena gigit balik.
should set up an organization that monitors new projects from any government. this is to ensure proper funds are used for this project and not false assurance from either party.
There is an organisation. Its called Council of Eminent…
…Old Farts.
A national car from private investments. How is that going to work?
A national car gets special tax relief, which is public funds to benefit a few private investors. Private companies aim is to make money and answers to the board. An IPO perhaps?
Great! Can you assure us that Protiga will never cause car price to skyrocket like the 90s again? And Malaysians are guaranteed to enjoy foreign brands with quality?
Sorry for being sceptical, but judging from PH’s failure to fulfill most of their manifestos earlier (and ridicule rakyat in the process), I am not convinced. Plus your boss said Malaysia doesn’t believe in high salary, enough with low cost of living.
But with high car prices, I don’t know how cost of living can be maintained at manageable level. Perhaps you could explain more to us, the stupid Malaysians.
Thailand is Detroit of Southeast Asia and they don’t even have a National Car. PH should liberalize car industries in Malaysia. We don’t have the expertise as through some many years look at Proton what kind of car they have produced and designed. As before Geely taken over, they have the upper hand to do so but making rubbish only.
Yeah yeah yeah.. private sector money. If profit masuk poket. If loss gov bailout..
yesterday, tun m said, it is useless if get high salary but no purchasing power. i hope tun m realize that rakyat support proton with their low quality car in the last 30 years. even rakyat did not have high salary, but forced to buy proton.
Now i know, tun m and his gang only want cronies become rich and richest.
The rich becomes richer while the poor becomes poorer in New MY. Tahniah!
Proton low quality cars? Jepunis nowadays no quality. You can name all the gates as you want
“Of course we will not use the government money… only after 5 years or so we will using your money to bail them out… but before that we will put some protection for them to compete with others first… you should be patriotic by supporting & buying the national car so they can be the new jaguh kampung…”
-Minister-
We dont even know how to build a simple TV what more to talk abt building a CAR ! Today’s consumer electronics n home appliances are almost 100% made by the Foreign companies in malaysia n almost 100% imported from China, why not start something simple with lower investment that it is truely made in malaysia by the Malaysian company ?
Nobody believes Nobita anymore.
National car has been a curse all these while…..while Malaysian are (still) suffering from the-never-ending karma.
Anyway, no private company dares or crazy enuf to invest marney on the 3rd national car.