PROTON’s Tanjung Malim was buzzing with activity as they hosted a elegation of business, media and government officials from China. It was the right time to showcase the assembly of the Proton X70 which has been selling well despite tough rivals from Korea, Japan and France. The RM1.2 billion refurbished Proton factory in Tanjung Malim will bring much needed jobs and also allow Proton’s branding to grow in ASEAN with the possible export of the Proton X70 and to be followed Proton X50 and the new sedans.
Press Release: China’s Minister of Industry and Information Technology, the Honourable Mr Miao Wei, arrived at PROTON’s Tanjung Malim plant yesterday as part of a work visit to Malaysia. Accompanying him was YB Tuan Eddin Syazlee Shith, Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia along with government officials from both countries.
The visit was hosted by Dato’ Seri Syed Faisal Albar, Chairman of PROTON together with Mr Li Shufu, Chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Also present were Dato’ Mohammad Zainal Shaari, Chairman of DRB-HICOM, as well as Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of PROTON, Dato’ Radzaif Mohamed, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of PROTON and senior management members of PROTON.
During Mr Miao Wei’s visit, the Minister was briefed about PROTON’s current and future business activities before witnessing the signing of a joint venture agreement between Proton Edar Sdn Bhd, Altel Communications Sdn Bhd and ECarX (Hubei) Technology Co. Ltd, China.
Digital technology and connectivity to power the future of mobility
The new joint venture company will benefit PROTON in a multitude of ways, primarily in the area of digital technology and car connectivity systems. The use of these features, particularly in the area of car connectivity is now a global trend and is expected to be one of the key drivers for future automotive sales. It was this scenario that inspired PROTON to take the bold step of launching the Proton X70 equipped with the connectivity features as one of the main Unique Selling Propositions (USP).
As of today, following the successful launch of the Proton X70 in December 2018, the 2019 Proton Iriz, Persona and Exora have already joined the ranks of Proton models with connectivity features that offer a wide range of functional applications for car buyers.
“With the signing of today’s agreement, PROTON is taking the next step in its evolution to become an automotive brand offering global products. Collaborations such as this will allow us to gain a foothold in the rapidly progressing area of car connectivity solutions while also increasing the knowledge base of our R&D engineers. It also allows us to explore the possibility of expanding our connectivity solutions to PROTON’s export markets, particularly in neighbouring ASEAN countries. This will give PROTON a technological advantage as the automotive industry moves towards the next generation of mobility solutions,” said Dato’ Sri Syed Faisal Albar, Chairman of PROTON.
