Proton's Chairman Tun M expressed his grievance over lack of Malaysian Government's support!

Kuala Lumpur: In an interview with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, The Edge, ex-PM and chairman of Proton Holdings, has revealed that the first local car manufacturer of Malaysia, Proton is finding it difficult to get the support of government for its production and popularity.

He also mentioned in the interview that the government must “open its doors to foreign imports”, because it is “popular with consumers” for years now and is key player of the automotive industry in the local market.

There are several countries which have restricted the entry of Proton and their products in the nation. Besides the major drawbacks of the marque, in five-minute long interview Tun M also focussed on to the Proton's current predicament is due to the fact Proton “is not as good as the Koreans or the Japanese”, as voiced by one of the interviewers.

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To which Tun M responded that if “you (the interviewer) wanted to admit that we are not good, then you can admit that-lah.” However, there are nations like China which can be pointed for protecting Proton's market at the start. “So, what's wrong with protecting our market?” he went on to ask.

In between all the disguise, Tun M was found positively quoting for the company that Proton is likely to flourish and has a bright future ahead also. The marque will continue to proudly flare the image of being the nation's first car manufacturer. The brand has the potential to retain its value and can still “turn things around”.

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Talking about its strategy to rise up the brand's position in the market, Tun M stated that the brand will be aiming to produce cars that “are as good as imported cars”, for which the products might “cost a little bit more”.

“Malaysians always expect a low-quality, cheaply built car. That is not Proton anymore. We have a different idea,” reaffirmed Tun M.

Hearing this from chairman's mouth, one can assume that Proton will proudly hold its position in the future as well, if not deviated from the statement given by Tun M. Earlier in June this year, the brand had also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and License Agreement (LA) with Japanese carmaker, Suzuki.

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Video Courtesy: The Edge TV Exclusive