Proton is no lame duck: Nadzmi

Proton Holdings Bhd (5304) does not need a foreign partner to survive, its chairman said, stressing that it still has the upper hand in any collaboration talks.

"We are not like a lame duck wanting somebody to carry us and I believe that we must collaborate with our strengths. The impression that Proton is dying and it needs a partner, it's not the case," said Datuk Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh.

Plans for Proton to partner Germany's Volkswagen fell through in 2007. Analysts believe that Proton needs a technical foreign partner to help it boost export sales and come up with new models. However, Nadzmi argues that Proton has started to make new models that are profitable, starting with the Exora multi-purpose vehicle, and it is on a stronger footing financially.

Proton's local market share, which dropped to a low of 29 per cent at one point, has also improved to 33 per cent.
Group managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said that Proton's strengths include its brand, government support and its location in Southeast Asia.

However, a collaboration could have an effect on the auto industry that also includes Proton's suppliers and dealers and that is why it is not rushing into a deal.

"A lot is at stake and that's why we are taking our time," Syed Zainal said.

In September, VW said it was exploring the possibility of building cars in Malaysia with Proton.

In April, Syed Zainal said the national carmaker was in very preliminary technical collaboration talks with Renault, an affiliate of Nissan Motor Co.

Industry observers had said then that the talks were focused on the supply of a diesel engine and probably joint development of the Perdana replacement.

Renault, France's second largest carmaker, does not have its own assembly plant in the region and has very little exposure to the Asian market, AmResearch said in a research report last month.


comments


Proton is no lame duck: Nadzmi - CORRECT !!- It is A DEAD DUCK !! smilies/angry.gif and we are paying exorbitant prices for cars (national or otherwise) to keep it afloat - sadly, a lousy Proton is what I can afford !!!



Why not remove all taxes on imported cars, you know the 300% taxes on Honda, Toyota and BMWs? Driving a 5 yo Proton Saga is SO NOISY, I'm wondering when the Proton doors will fall off when I go over a bump! Proton is well-positioned as the "drive to wet market car" or "send kids to school car", but it will never be a comfortable family car.

Remove all tariffs and taxes. Then let's see if you can even have a domestic market at all! Then you can talk big.



In Saudi Arabia Proton Persona is = RM 32,786

In Saudi Arabia Proton Gen2 is = RM 30,612

In Saudi Arabia Proton Waja is = RM 34,576

And that's included the ship transportation changes smilies/grin.gif

So it looks like as a Malaysian, we're paying ALMOST DOUBLE for a local manufactured product which definitely low in quality while foreigners are paying the mentioned low price for a EXPORT QUALITY car... "LEMBU PUNYA SUSU SAPI DAPAT NAMA" smilies/tongue.gif... "ANAK KERA DIHUTAN DISUSUKAN, ANAK SENDIRI MATI KEBULURAN"


This idiot thinks we have a Rolls Royce... he must admit that if they tie up the local cronies will die. Proton from day one has been supporting all the cronies.. no wonder the children of Proton executives all drive Mercedes and BMWs. What more can I say.
VW as far as I know makes good cars and want quality control all the way down to the last piece of rubber.

What Proton can do by any marriage is to drop all the third rate cronie suppliers. I have seen the plastic works these morons do.. their moulds and parts werent designed correctly and they makeshift by cutting bits here and there and installing them into the cars.....
FUrthermore, as long as we do not have people with drive, motivation and really intellect, working and designing our cars... there is no way Proton can claim to be a world player. Right now its just a kuchi rat without any original design power and people who can make changes... They are just nothing but a parochial management hoping for someone foreign to give another hand out and another handout.

Lift the tariffs and let free trade reign and until they have to fight for their survival they management and staf of Proton are always looking for continous handouts and being balled out by the crooks and sell outs like the mama and the Augusta debacle... and a shamefull one at that too this bloody "crooked bridge" mama son of a mamagun