Malaysian Proton Impian

By PETER O. OKAIYET,
Thursday, September 22, 2005.

MALAYSIA imported the genetic material of palm oil tree from Nigeria and within three decades, turned it into an industrial crop. 

In Nigeria, it is still a quasi-industrial crop and we are far from attaining the pedestals Malaysia has reached in truly making it into manufacturing webs of oils, additives and related inputs. This is exactly what Malaysia has done with cars as she started humbly with Mitsubishi-sourced engines and are building it up to standard cars.

We must however, state that before all these, Malaysia has truly completed her core industries — iron and steel, petrochemicals and chemicals — so that she can now internalize prices not like us that for spare parts, materials and equipment and even machineries, US dollars must be the denomination.

With no ability to internalize prices, we import the strength and weaknesses of the US dollars and are in no position to stabilize our currency. Now away from economic lecturette to our Proton IMPIAN. We are pitching it with Mitsubishi-engined Suzuki Liana and Mitsubishi Lancer that we are familiar with.

The Proton ranges are Wira, Satria and IMPIAN. They have engines upto 3.0 liters sourced from Mitsubishi. But in Malaysia itself, 1.8 to 2.0 liters are the standard engines. There are strong family resemblance with Mitsubishi ranges that have been in Nigeria.

The Malays have been able to tackle the issue of economy in away. As an island Nation, 31/52/42 miles per gallon for urban, extra urban and mixed driving suits the island nation appropriately especially without crude oil fortunes.  Equally, they have been able to keep to the Mitsubishi of Japan servicing interval of 9000 kilometers. They have also maintained same range of power extraction from the common four cylinder.

We are in full admiration of the Malays knowing and standing by realities. They have never been in a rush to make cars per se but with the completion of their core industries, they would soon enter the global market and niche turfs of cars.
OKAIYETO wrote in from Zaria.