IS PROTON A 'MALAYSIAN' CAR?

I read this article with the above title "Is PROTON a Malaysian car?" at Lim Kit Siang's blog. The article was written by KJ JOHN and was first published on Malaysiakini.com on 30 August 2011 and re-posted on Lim Kit Siang's blog on 6 September 2011. KJ JOHN was in public service for 29 years and is now the dean of the Faculty of Economics and Policy Science at UCSI University, Malaysia.

The author first spoke on PROTON Managing Director Dato Seri Syed Zainal Abidin's personal experience with a taxi driver that was published in Ahmad Talib (former NST Managing Director) recent column. In that article, due to the misconception that the power window regulator will malfunction with high usage, Syed Zainal introduced himself, gave the taxi driver his personal handphone number, asked the taxi driver to use the power window and to call him if the power window malfunction when used (or overused). Syed Zainal assured the taxi driver that he will replace the power window regulator without charge-FOC if it malfunction. The whole objective was to correct the life-long misconception that had damaged PROTON's goodname. The confident of PROTON Managing Director to give his personal handphone number to the taxi driver speaks volume. The taxi driver never did call signalling the problem or the misconception was not true.



That hypothesis and misconception that the power window regulator will malfunction with frequent usage was further confirmed by other taxi drivers. Instead of correcting other misconception that is now, also an old folks tale, KJ John continues to speak out his own take on PROTON that again, is an old folks tale.

So KJ John the author & Lim Kit Siang,

Being in PROTON eco-system, I know for a fact, Bumiputra or melayu or any ethnic vendor or dealer that does not perform, even if they are connected to any prominent figure, they will, they are and they have been terminated!! Infact, the recent few years of vendors and dealers termination, were mostly bumiputera & melayu... irrespective of that being good or bad, but that is a fact. Appointment of vendors and dealers are now based on merits. Bumiputera and melayu percentages have shrunk below the majority!

With regard to the national car status KJ John, please read the latest on what is being define as a national car. If PROTON as a national car is a psychological symbol to project a Ketuanan Melayu identity, then what about PERODUA, NAZA Kia and Inokom that had once carried the National Car status symbol? Ketuanan Korea, Ketuanan Jepun di bumi Malaysia? All four companies were neither a distributor or a marketeer but a manufacturer and/or assemblers. The national car status has been redefined, the perks of being a national car had also been re-written.

We need to move on, let bygones be bygones. Whether the old folks tale is true other otherwise, it is not what PROTON is now. Let us not be the taxi-driver and live in the past and unbeknown of the present...  it is understood if it comes from a taxi driver :-D

READ: the article at LIM KIT SIANG