National automaker Proton could see its long-awaited return to profitability this year, The Edge Markets reported. If so, the turn of profit would mark the company’s first since the purchase of a 49.9% stake by Geely in June 2017, driven by new model launches and cost-cutting measures in joint management with Geely, Proton CEO Li Chunrong said.
“I think this year, we could make a profit. Financial performance has improved a lot. You will see the numbers at the end of this year. We are confident that next year, we will be profitable,” Li said. Proton reported a net loss of RM481 million (US$115 million) in the financial year ending March 2018 according to DRB-Hicom, the conglomerate which holds the other 50.1% stake in Proton.
In terms of product launches, 2019 saw the debut of the Persona, Iriz, Exora and Saga minor updates, which followed the launch of the Geely Boyue-based Proton X70 at the end of last year. In July, Proton announced that it has sold a total of 43,679 units for the first six months of 2019, which represented a 61% increase over the same period in 2018.
Proton and parent company Geely have invested more than RM1.2 billion for the expansion and upgrading of the automaker’s manufacturing facilities, and the facility which produces the X70 crossover will be able to produce other Geely models, Geely said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Proton is likely to set a target of a 30% increase in vehicle sales for 2020, said Li, as the Proton board is due to meet on Saturday to set performance goals, according to the report. The nation’s first automaker also aims to claim the top position in Malaysia by 2027 and be ranked among the top three makes in Southeast Asia, in which Proton is currently ranked ninth, as it looks to export to Thailand and Indonesia.
Proton is broadening its horizons, and not just geographically; it said last week that fellow national carmaker Perodua is no longer its immediate competitor, and instead it has Japanese makes Toyota and Honda in its sights as it pursues a larger share of the market. Li is looking at Proton to focus on the finer points of vehicle development in order to transition from making ‘basic cars’ to ‘high-end cars’, something that is part of a 10-year plan envisioned for the brand.
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Not to say that I’m siding with the Chinese but they are sure efficient. Nothing’s personal.. it’s pure business for them.
Facts and figures are what matter to them and they duly deliver of what our own people could not do it for so many years.. PROFIT!!!
Betoii brader. Memang terbaik YB Li Chunrong!!!
Betoi bro. Kalau harapkan local ceo, mmg dh bankrap pun dh. Semadi malu nak bankrap tutup kdai dpan rakyat, last2 jual je kat china. Pas tu dh up sikit, bangga2 pulak kata usaha sendiri.
Tapi ape2 pun…segala usaha dan titik peluh tu kita berterima kasih banyak2 dengan En. Li Chunrong ni. Sbb dia la proton hidup balik.Tanpa dia lama dh bankrap. Kenyataan la kan.
So shameful, after 30 years of transfer of technology by Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Renault, Citroen etc etc, until today, we cannot even create our own successful car company and we need orang luar dan orang pendatang to save us
So shame about ur lies. U told us Proton 12.12 sales is to clear stocks but billions of pipu worldwide oso shop on 12.12 and they not buying to clear stocks. Shud we bilip billions of pipu or just only u?
lready tak boleh tanggung malu, now still buat bising. Kutuk CP but now already hamba to CP…ha ha ha
Proton workers Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday find it difficult to work
This is why productivity is so low
Wasted money keeping Proton alive. More than RM40 billion down the drain
I hope we can give Citizenship to Li Chunrong and people like him cause they contribute so much in our success
Abang2 local now bankrap trok selepas china takeover. Tak dpt kopi O lagi takda bawah meja lg. Habis la abang2 local ni mampui miskin. Jd slave china jer la.
exactly brah.. org kite dah Xsapot kete proton. bila borak dgn geng sekampung, smue adehati nk up Crv Cx5 baru …. Harrier 5siri sekenhen la Alfad Vellfire laa.
Masuk je bab X70, smue member2 dok diam. Dlm hati diorang… proton tatap proton. local brand takdo sape nk pandang.
Sembang je maruah, biar putih tulang. jgn putih mata, last2 jage sendri gak. Puiitt
They dun care abt transfer technology 1, wat they care is transfer more money into theor pocket.
After 10 years where Proton will be if still can’t win over Toyota.The CEO only talk big.
En. Li Chunrong ni betul2 MVP laa… dari model2 lapuk mcm persona, preve, saga and exora masa taun 2017, whatta Turnaround!
In China, school is 14 hours. In Malaysia, school is 6 hours.
Can you see the difference?
Now you know why Proton cannot perform
We need more quality people from China into Malaysia.
Many previous P1 Ceo and local managers dr DRB mmg kemaluan besar..
Even Toyota have to kowtow to Geely and work with them. Such kemaluan besar from Japanese overlords.
Event after so many hours at schools but still so many under perform to become just operator.
This is why you need brains from China Universities. Local brains from Uitm, Mara and UIA just cannot make the mark for a successful CEO.
I am glad Proton is doing well. Terimakasih orang Cina
You say that but your own politician is cutting gomen funding for Chinese Uni just becoz they spite their opponents. Ironically majority of their members and politicians are grads from that Chinese Uni. Interesting how local brains never killed their own brain like that. Only Chinese can do that and not feel guilty.
Never From UiTM or UIAM be CEO for Proton. Which source you got the information, may be from your dream. All the CEO from American University. They do like America.
25 years losing money like crazy, 1 year China CEO take over, already making profit……speaks volumes!!!!!!!
Speak volumes yes. You speak of lies when you claimed they losing money like crazy for 25 years. Clearly you don’t know history kid.
Thanks for the support from china and Chinese to proton it suppose to happen earlier to build our nation. We all a uniquely programmed Robot. Nothing much we can do about it but a few blank to fill in it all a program biological intelligent. Some programmed to be excellent some to be operator. Based on statistic many of them program to be operator in China.
Well done Proton. Lucky China came and helped you. Li Chunrong and Geely, within 6 months could identify all the leakages Proton had, what local CEOs could not identify in 30 years.
This is why we need more foreign CEOs from Mainland to come into Malaysia to help run our GLCs and even Putrajaya. We will see a 10 fold increase in productivity and we will become FIRST World soon.
Already 2020, our vision to be FIRST world tak jadi, nevermind, never too late to get brains and intelligence from Mainland to help us achieve this goal
Might as well you say let Malaysia be tanah jajahan China
Syukur Msia bukan hongkong … syukurrr
Syukur Malaysian ada pendatang yang boleh tolong baiki ekonomi
Abang abang cannot even run Proton, what more the country.
Ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…….cannot stop laughing
Even in PISA scores globally, China schools are NO 1.
Malaysia is last on the list.
What is pity is that Proton need to help of others in order to success. 30 years of game over automotive experience Proton learned absolutely nothing, only know how to use rakyat’s money to bailout…
Tesla got Elon musk, Proton got Li chunrong.
You don’t feel shy someone else is doing the hard work now?
Nope. Why should we feel shy that Japan have been doing the hard work for 25 years?
You are spot on. Japan has been doing all the hard work for Perodua too. All the abang2 in the Perodua factory also got a free ride, as usual
Oklah. At least they learnt how to make good cars. You go see 25 years of Perodua existence and what do you see? Nothing absolutely no achievements to be proud about. None whatsoever. They never learnt to do anything by themselves, they never did anything by themselves, they never achieve anything groundbreaking, they never became a gamechanger like Proton, they have been a rebadger since Day One for 25 years amd they continue to rebadge until today. They have nothing I can say as a Malaysian to be proud about. They are basically nothing compared to Proton really, tbh.
It does not matter if PH or BN is running the Government. the 1.6 million Government servants are all lembap and cannot produce results.
Replace them with people like Li Chunrong, you will see productivity will 10 fold and we will become Developed Nation in no time.
Replace you also with Uncle Mao to run the police force
Spot on. The problem is the useless and corrupt 100 ministers. Replace them with 100 professional mainlanders and the 1.6 million Government servants can do their jobs well as they so keen to do.
China is not A developed Nation like Russia. Hundred of million of them are very poor. The under perform in China is more over there.
P2 make developed axia, bezza & new myvi.
Honestly, we didn’t develop anything. We just reskin cars from 3rd world Daihatsu & Toyota cars.
Mind ask which car perodua are rebadge from daihatsu model in japan ?? axia ?? bezza ?? mYb?? or alza ???
Rebadged from: Mira, Etios, Boon, Passo Sette. Booyah!
Myvi is using Daihatsu Sirion chassis. Alza is a rebadged Toyota Passo Sette. Axia even worse , not rebadge from JDM car but Indonesia’s Daihatsu Ayla. Only Bezza is partly original but still based on Axia’s platform
Proton X70 not rebadge meh????
Not meant racist but when previously wholly managed by Malays cronies whom care for their pocket first then made moves by rebranding Lancer,Ertiga and Perdana sadly sales figures quite disappointing compare with another rebranding move made by Geely which is obviously profiting.
This sounds like the best comment here. The same happens with all the GLCs. Look at TH, already needed RM10.3 billion bailout
This is why our country is lacking behind Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Our majority are lazy and do not want to work hard
Paul Tan should frame this comment and make it the model comment. Spot on truth
Is not the race that matters but the fact that caused Proton’s and many other related companies failure was the placement of Mahathir’s unqualified cronies. You look at how most of them outperformed later after Najib replace these jokers with technocrats & professionals.
Paul Tan should frame this comment and make it the model comment. Spot on truth
best comment full stop. It says everything about the real Malaysia
Singapore and Malaysia Merdeka SAME time. Look at Singapore now, the Top 3 GDP Per Capita in the World and also one of the strongest currencies in the world
And Singapore is FULL of Li CHunrongs
Yeah S’pore is full of Chinamen so much so their citizens are complaining their country is overrun with foreigners and getting pushed out of jobs & opportunities. Many who could left has left, and the remainder could only find jobs cleaning plates at foodcourts. I do feel pity for their citizens but that is the price when their govt prioritize money over their citizens.
So right bro! So grateful we Malaysians.
We can pick our jobs here, yet complaining.
Support by America and UK.
All because of the old clown from ph circus ma….
Habislah Honda Malaysia. Could see Honda Malaysia Sales is dropping while Proton Malaysia has already beat Honda Malaysia. Even Nissan and Toyota in Malaysia are doing better than before. Quality is not so good and aftersales service is also not that good. Yet, Honda Malaysia is still selling new cars and never listen to their people complaints. That’s why I sell off CRV and drive X70
JD survery have proven that X70 got more problems than CRV, is this another game over fake news brother Mario?
There goes DRB bonus and big fat pay. Their incompetent and lazy ways made Proton fail but their bosses all get 12 months bonus every year and big fat 7 figure salary every month
It suppose to be done earlier and forever.
Which is why I trust the Mainland ones, they truly can perform and show results. This unlike our local ones whom only know how to talk, criticize, condemn, demo, but given the important task of being MOT & MOF, these guys failed miserably in their jobs. Is there a way to petition to change all the local ones in cabinet with Mainland ones. I believe everyone here agrees the Mainland ones have proven to be better.
but last time you condemn China and its people but now you crawl to them like hamba abdi
Nobody here is condemning China and its people except for you. Yeah I see your previous comments condemning China now you come and jilat China backside. Do you know shame ah?
Like you can do better, just a BN Cybertrooper that lost the GE and don’t know where to hide your face
Siapa kalah teruk Tg Piai?
Most important is Proton paying back the RM20billion bailout it has taken so far.
When you are honourable, you return the hutang first, then action later. Proton syiok sendiri now but hutang belum bayar lagi.
blame the world for your laziness and unintelligent conduct. ha ha ha
Nobody is blaming the world, but we can see those particular ministers showed us they cannot perform unlike their Mainland brethren. You see 18 months of leadership and Dr Li turned Proton around. 18 months of LGE in MOT and our economy turned for the worse. 18 months of Loke in MOT and accidents and deaths increased. Results speaks and their performance is seriously bad, very bad.
The same with England?
https://paultan.org/2019/12/16/aston-martin-confirms-discussions-with-potential-investors-stroll-middle-east-india-china-in-the-mix/
https://paultan.org/2019/11/13/tata-seeks-partnership-for-jaguar-land-rover-report/
The same with Germany?
https://paultan.org/2019/12/09/volkswagen-cracks-the-efficiency-whip-says-its-german-plants-need-to-match-overseas-factories/
Pekan plant more hardworking & efficient than Wolfsburg? Lol!
In Malaysia, just to decide on one matter, you need about 10 meetings. Each meeting got teh tarik and kuih lapis. Before any decision is made, already got majlis bersurai and tangguh to next meeting
When China do things, every meeting decisions are made.
That is the difference.
Welcome to China. Anything possible here.
China CEO concentrate on his business because he got just 1 wife and small family to distract him.
Local CEO got so many wives and 20 children, so he got no opportunity to focus on his business and do well in life
China has shown they are capabled. Its time we replace the local ones with ori China ones. The local ones tak boleh pakai.
As a taxpaying rakyat I have to confess, I’d rather put Rm 1 billion of our tax money into Proton and reap the rewards quickly, as compared to how PH is putting Rm 1 billion into 3rd national car and nothing is still certain or if more money will be sunk into this stupid project. PH and their leaders have really screwed the country upside down and there is no light at the end of this torturous journey. From Proton we can see a turn finally made for the better. Malaysia under PH? Nothing even close. So many pinned Proton’s problem onto a certain ethnic but now a preferred ethnic minister is the boss of MoF and is he doing any better. Hell No! He is turning our economy into a classic example of basket case failures!
Proton has turned around. Nuff said. What about our crashing economy? Nobody cares?
Economy depend on budget.
Human being is a uniquely program robot. That what the story line for him .
Proton was a dead brand and a game over carmaker but luckily thanks to Geely, Proton survived and back on track again. I hope that there will be no fanboys saying that this success is all thanks to Proton hardwork only
I hope that there will be no SH saying that Proton lost RM4 mil everyday and no money to pay the salary of 12,000 workers.
Proton can now payback Rm30b to us rakyat
RM15.3b only.
Proton returned back in RM 60Billion (That is B. 60,000 Million) in revenue & taxes to the country’s coffers.
if launch x50, then i think proton will be the most profitable car brand among all South East Asia Region, overtake all Japanese Brands incoming few years.
be confident, within 10-20 years China will overtake all Japaneses Automotive in the world.
Of course profitable because running by chinese, which company run by Chinese don’t profit. Malay must admit and learn from chinese how to make business profit rather than being racist calling Chinese to leave.
Which Chinese company you say? BERMAZ. They overpriced their cars and topkek positioning vs contis that no one is buying Mazdas anymore. BERMAZ ini milik siapa?
You gotta give it to the Chinese. They really know how to run a business.
Luckily he not say proton could return to kampung this year and he return to china next year. Maybe soon will be.
We need more China people in Malaysia obviously. More restaurants pls. I love Chinese food. . I love Char Siew a lot.
I agree. We need to replace the local ones with Mainland ones. They are proven to be capabled, more honest, and have a positive spirit compared to the 60 years of toxicity from the local ones. Its time to UBAH them!
Puih!This is automobile forum, not politikus forum !
“Parent company Geely”? When did Geely become a majority shareholder of Proton?
LCR as the new Finance Minister post APEC 2020! The 1st naturalisation minister in history!
The real winners are the ones that work for Proton, they get to retain their jobs. These are bread and butter issues that has been solved by Mr Lee. Have to tabik that guy for indirectly helping them out.
Bro, it’s Dr Li. He has 2 Masters, one of which is from MIT (USA). His PhD is in Management Engineering.
Can any of the previous Proton CEO beat his qualifications???
Kalau Malaysia macam Dr Li, siang-siang dah kena tendang jauh-jauh.
Rakyat Malaysia needs to accept we are the only user for technology, not the innovator. Within 6 months Dr Li upgrade PROTON car better with all the latest automotive technology.
Thank u Dr.Li! As for our dear Tun, Do give up & stop the “Protiga” project. Rakyat already suffer enough by funding your “cronies money pit”/pet project after 3 decades.
As Proton now is performing & on the right track.
We see how long it last. Proton is good but the people isn’t.
it’s happy & disappointed to see this at the same time.. happy Proton makes a comeback run by a very capable foreign CEO.. disappointed that the previous local ex-CEOs are all useless and makan gaji buta, wasting a lot of our taxpayer money
DSZ was the best of previous local ex-CEO, directly handpicked by Najib and they had turned a corner in product development under his care, but the continuing meddling by Tun & cronies broke his back and Proton became worse again. It was the final straw and only by selling and transferring management control to Geely could Najib ensure Proton is lead professionally and independent from a meddlesome old crone.
This is Malaysia very slow update not like in China everything fast.
People who hate now love Proton.Thanks Dr Li. You really turn thing around. We are most welcome you to help Malaysia.
It will have same results if a qualified American, Japanese or European (for examples) as the CEO.
So it is not due to Li ChunRong (maybe with Geely additional points).
It is about their mentality & attitude, plus business should be separated from politics, never mix personal & business too.