JOHOR BARU: DRB-Hicom Bhd wants Proton to become a leader in the development and production of cars for South-East Asia.
Group managing director Datuk Seri Mohd Khamil Jamil said Proton needs to take that chance because to date there is no car maker in the region that develops specific vehicles for the market.
He said as the only original equipment manufacturer in the region, Proton has the ability and capacity to do so and capitalise on the region's strong market growth.
"So far the vehicles sold in Asean are from different countries but no car manufacturer in the region produces cars specifically for this market. Therefore, it is my dream to see Proton becoming the leader in producing cars specifically for this market," he told reporters in a briefing here recently.
To achieve this ambition, he said Proton needs to collaborate with industry players in Asean countries such as Thailand and Indonesia to develop the Asean vehicle.
He said by producing the Asean-specific vehicle, it is not possible to sell it to other markets.
Mohd Khamil, who is also executive chairman of Proton, said the national carmaker is currently focusing on improving the quality of its vehicles to be on par with global standards.
He said Proton must produce products with global specifications to ensure its strong future growth and to be competitive in an increasingly challenging environment.
Proton has set a target to produce 500,000 units of vehicles in the next five years, of which more than 20 per cent are for the export markets.
The five-fold increase in production during this period would strengthen its position in the local and global markets, Mohd Khamil said.
Additionally, he said Proton should focus on the export markets for its future growth as the small local automotive market has almost reached its saturation point.
Mohd Khamil said Proton has bright prospects in China, which has a vehicle market of almost 19 million a year, compared with Malaysia's total production of 600,000 units annually.
-Bernama
0 comments:
Post a Comment