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Malaysia Launches New National Car Project, Prototype to be Released Next March

Malaysia Launches New National Car Project, Prototype to be Released Next March

Malaysia launched a new mass market car project on Friday, as it looks to boost development and adoption of high technology in a renewed industrial push by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Reuters reported.

Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy is spurring industry to embrace technology so as to increase productivity and counter growing external risks from an escalating trade war between the United States and China.

The new project, spearheaded by Malaysian firm DreamEDGE, will be developed with technical assistance from Japan’s Daihatsu Motor Corp, said Darell Leiking, Malaysia’s trade and industry minister.

The new project will be developed with technical assistance from Japan's Daihatsu Motor Corp, said Mr Darell Leiking, Malaysia's trade and industry minister. Image: The Straits Times
The new project will be developed with technical assistance from Japan's Daihatsu Motor Corp, said Mr Darell Leiking, Malaysia's trade and industry minister. Image: The Straits Times

 

“It’s privately funded, with no government funding at all,” Leiking told a news conference. “We will support anything that is Malaysian made...as long as no government money is expended or used.”

Daihatsu, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp, owns a stake in Perodua, Malaysia’s second homegrown automaker and its best-selling brand.

Darell said the new marque, which has yet to be named, would offer affordable vehicles loaded with advanced technology.

The first model, which is likely to be a C-segment sedan powered by either an advanced internal combustion engine or hybrid system, is expected to hit the road by March 2021, said Khairil Adri Adnan, the chief executive of DreamEDGE.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad took center stage at the launch of the Proton X70 on Dec. 12, 2018. Image: CK Tan/Nikei Asian Review
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad took center stage at the launch of the Proton X70 on Dec. 12, 2018. Image: CK Tan/Nikei Asian Review

 

"The Prime Minister had informed me recently to look into the facilities at DreamEDGE as they will be an important mover in the industry," Leiking told a news conference, adding that the car will be "a fully fledged local vehicle developed in Malaysia".

Leiking described it as a completely new and "exclusive" model, with "advanced technology," adding that its price tag would be affordable to the public.

"The national car project is the nation's industrialisation catalyst, to spur the meaningful participation of Malaysians in advanced technology adoption," the ministry said, as quoted by The Straits Times.

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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