The Malaysian Insider

WE need to stop exploiting malaysian rakyat in paying massive unwarranted taxes on cars to prop up politicians and banks self-interests.

No point propping uncompetitive businesses - its a massive waste of time funds and effort. (simply a sinkhole)

AAB also said the same things, Now Najib is saying the same thing, again and again like old broken down record. Do the right thing by abolishing the APs, then we see u r serious. If not don't try to fool the public.Proton deserved to die because of government stupidity.

Tales of missed chances.

Look at the state of global car industry today. All of them big and small, strong and not so strong are trying to survive the crisis. Buying into a car manufacturer like Proton now is a distant possibility.

Proton had their chances but chose not to take it. Remember beggars cannot be chosers

It may be a bit too late now, a very good partner has gone to Indonesia to set up its own manufacturing plant, what a waste. I really hope they wake up as early as possible, the protection policy may not work in this world now

The only ways to save the rakyat and this country is stop buying PRoton.

Proton only benefits a few cronies who continue to produce junk and can only be sold to Proton and no one else. Yes, thanks to our stupid gov.

who cares if Proton is sustainable. If you get to milk the cow endlessly.

So, do you part. STOP BUYING PROTON.

Don't waste anymore time, further public money and your precious time.
Proton is a huge mistake right from the start. Like petronas petrol stations, it was created for the Umnoputras to get rich.

Are you kidding? At this lowest economic crisis looking for strong foreign partners? US, Japan, S. Korea & EU can't even take care of their own automakers' problems la.

At least you are telling the truth that Proton cannot survive la. Just tell us the truth, not camouflage la.

please stop all the RAsuah and this will help to make proton better.

If you have the money to buy up a car manufacturing production, which would you buy?

Proton of no-tech or SAAB with sofisticated technology?
Proton of poor reputation of defacts or Fiat with reliability?
Proton with designs that never change or Chevrolet with innovation?

Besides, there are droves of UMNO crony buaya in Proton with jaws wide open ready to eat up any investment you throw in.

There are good and valid reasons why Mitsubishi couldn't wait to cabut and lari kuat kuat as soon as contract expired.

Simple answer, isn't it?

Proton is not a national pride, it was a hoax plotted by Mahathir for his personal ego and pecuniary gains. For many years, we have been made to buy Mitsubishi cars in inferior Proton shells. We Malaysians have been made the victims.

Proton needs a scrapyard to be its permanent resting place.

Here we go again. This is the third PM who is saying “I don’t think Proton can manage without one (foreign partner) but it has to be the right one. The terms and conditions must be fair to us as well".

Soon Proton management will come out and say they can turn things around themselves since it;s not their money that will be at stake. But secretly the Govt will bail it out with cash disguised as 'R&D' grants. Then various Bumi NGO's will come out and say that Proton must remain in M'sian hands as it is a project that 'must not, cannot" fail as Bumi pride is at stake. So, we will be back to the drawing board and lose a few more billions and wonder where all our Petronas oil money and national reserves went to!

Sheesh! Just bite the bullet and get on with a foreign partner and giving up management control.

Proton is like a farm fed cow. It has no survival instincts. And in the real world of hungry lions, tigers and bears, the Proton cow will be eaten in under 5 minutes. Giving the proton Cow extra protection and food on the farm will not make it any stronger in the wild. It'll just get fatter and slower, all the better to eat

I look forward to the day that Proton is gone. It has been a horrible and expensive driving experience. An inferior product that was sold at ludicrous prices.

PS. Foreign companies will only take it if they are allowed to make most of the company decisions. And we, Malaysians can continue paying high prices for proton.

Perhaps Proton should buy GM and gain entry into the "lucrative" US market while it benefits from the transfer of US technology to Malaysia.

Proton needs a strong foreign partner once upon a time. Now it needs nothing short of a miracle. Stop the rot, cut it loose and move on.

Stop protecting Proton!! Reduce taxes for real cars and let people have a save and affordable drive in a proper car, not a plastic/tin cars, which falls apart!!!!
The government protection of Proton and the resulting purchases in Malaysia of this piece of crap reminds me on Eastern Europe, where everybody had to drive Ladas, Trabants!! It's simple close Proton!!!

i guess malaysia's right term & condition is d partner brings in technology & money and d running of proton to be left to some umno goons. so pls continue dreaming, zzzzzzzzzz!

How to talk about being an open economy when Proton, at odds with AFTA agreements we signed on years ago, still receives Government protection via 50 percent rebate on excise duty? Without this "help" (taxpayer contribution), a Proton Persona would cost within 10 percent of a Honda City/Toyota Vios. Proton as a company would go bust within a month.

Stop all the subsidy and protection given to Pariah. You are not helping Proton at all, you are only helping them to be more INEFFICIENT.

After more than 20 years of protection, this very pariah-quality car maker can't even compete with Japanese cars, even after a 200% tax! This should already tell you how useless this company is!

THe government should just sold this entire company to foreign companies. By doing so, you are not only helping proton, you are saving money for the RAKYAT.

We do not have to pay higher price due to the protection (i.e 200% custome duty on import car) given to Pariah. Many people would rather pay higher to get a better quality car, rather than a wira (my first car!) which will automatically shut down while travelling on a high-way.

The taxpayer money could be better spent to revive the country rather than giving subsidy to Pariah to lower their cost, to remain competitive, and at the same time, we need to pay RM50k to get an auto-shut-down car. And also, we do not have to spend RM1 million to maintain a proton perdana!

Taking over lotus should have given us a technology know-how in developing some competitive and good engines, apparently, lotus has since on the downward trend thanks to Proton. Continue to replace the engineers there with Proton's.

Stop protecting them, it is time for them to fight. Only through competition, this very sub-stantand car maker would become more competitive and efficient.

Proton management will frustrate any attempt to be acquired, be it by foreign or local parties, they must be worried about their future.

A new CEO has to be appointed whereby his/her main task is to let Proton to be acquired.

Or else, talks only. And continue to suffer - where American pay equivalent to RM60,000 (Ringgit Malaysia) for a Honda Civic, and we have to pay RM120,000.

The restructuring has to start at the top management and end at the lowest level of the factory workers! ONLY then will the new partner be able to get Proton going with a new and better car wthout the far to heavy price for a unworthy car old design car with parts never working properly! Open the market and Proton will find its way fast to dooms day! But thats the only way!

Still talking? VW has already invested US$140million into Indonesia to produce cars for SEA and Japan!! The boat has sailed. There's no one else big & strong enough to even want to look at Proton now.