PROTON CARS

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on February 07, 2012

1. I stopped using Proton cars after I stepped down. I wanted to enjoy the superior quality of the high-end European and Japanese cars.

2. Proton was known for its cheap cars. The assumption is that it can never produce cars of quality as represented by European, Japanese and even Korean cars.

3. The people at Proton are unhappy over this reputation. They feel it is wrong to think that they cannot produce high end cars. It is just that the company policy was to produce run-of-the-mill cars. The Malaysian public expect Malaysian cars to be cheap. Cheap cars just cannot have the quality and the features of the more costly imports.

4. Proton people want to show that given the support they can produce quality cars.

5. The other day I test drove their latest model on the test track at Shah Alam. I can verify and assure Proton customers and Malaysians generally that this new model can match any of the Japanese or European quality cars. It was such a pleasure to drive. A foreign friend who knows cars, tested the car and says it is up to the standard of the up-market cars from Europe.

6. This car uses hot press steel body which is stronger than cold press. It has a 1.6 liter turbocharged engine equal to a 2.0 liter engine power. The engine complies with Euro-five standards.

7. A whole list of feature has been incorporated. This includes Vehicle Seek Lamp, Wiper Auto Speed, Auto side door folding mirror, Push Button Start / Stop, Sensors for Automatic Wiper and Headlamp and GPS Antenna for Navigation System.

8. Additionally it has Impact Sensing Door Lock, Continuous Variable Transmission, Security Alarm System, Immobiliser and Central Locking.

9. The automatic version has Shift Lever with Tiptronic Mode and Paddle Shifter on Steering Wheel for seven gear changes. ABS to prevent skidding and BA (Brake Assist) to increase brake pedal force.

10. There are many others features which enhances the performance of the engine and driveability of the car.

11. There will be several models with less features than I describe. But they are all superior to the other Proton cars.

12. Naturally the price would be higher though probable cheaper than imports with similar features and quality.

13. I believe this is a great car and Proton can be proud of it. Malaysians can be proud of it too. The extra Ringgit you have to spend will be worth it.

14. The car will be available in three months time.

CUTI-CUTI MALAYSIA

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on February 01, 2012

1. The West i.e. the United States and Europe are deep in financial trouble.

2. Four European countries including United Kingdom and Italy have debts of more than 1 trillion dollars.

3. The Governor of the Bank of England has advised printing money to overcome Britain’s financial crisis. This is a great idea. When you lose money just print money to make up for the losses. The United States had printed 300 billion USD to bail out banks and overcome the crisis. Of course if Malaysia had printed Ringgits to pay off debts during the financial crisis we would be soundly condemned. No one would accept our Ringgit and we would be bankrupted. But rich countries apparently can print money to pay debts.

4. I was invited by Financial Times to comment on the European financial crisis. I wrote that their financial crisis is due to their living beyond their means.

5. Their wealth was not real because it is the result of gambling in the financial market. Believing that they were rich they paid themselves, including their workers very high salaries and bonuses.

6. But they did less and less work, limiting themselves to five days (35 hours) in a week. They enjoy long holidays. Working on holidays earns them double pay and quadruple for overtime.

7. They have unemployment benefits up to 90% of their previous pay.

8. Workers cannot be dismissed even if they don’t do any work.

9. Workers go on strike every now and then, or they work to rule.

10. Productivity is very low, which of course means their products are costly and cannot compete in the market.

11. The crisis they are facing today is the result of their living beyond their means.

12. Malaysia wishes to become a high-income economy. We are busy increasing wages and salaries. Already our labour cost is higher than all ASEAN countries except Singapore.

13. Growth comes from investments. When we are costly investors local or foreign will not invest.

14. But like the Europeans we are working less. We now work five days a week, adding 52 days to our national holidays numbering sixteen plus 52 Sundays.

15. We have now added more holidays including Wesak, Taipusam, Federal Territory Day, Awal Ramadhan, Nuzul Al Quran, Malaysia Day and numerous state holidays.

16. When the holiday falls on Sunday or Saturday we replace with Monday. This gives us three days holiday. We can take one day unrecorded leave on Friday and get four days holiday.

17. But sometimes two or three different holidays fall within one week. With a little arrangement one can extend it to one week or even nine days.

18. What it means is that we are working less days but our income (wages, pay) must be higher. The cost of producing goods or services is now higher. There is no evidence of increase in productivity. We are quickly falling into the trap into which the Europeans have fallen. And we are not even a developed country.

19. I may be wrong but I think we are headed for the kind of financial and economic crisis that the Europeans are in. Incidentally holidays bring death to thousands of travellers.

20. God save Malaysia.