Proton needs to produce own gearbox

NAP almost synonym with Proton from public view. Proton is still viewed as overly priced car with little quality values. New Proton management had taken drastic approach on regaining public confidence on the brand and significant improvement had been achieved, but not quite enough.
I personally can’t disagree with the public opinion. After all, I am the end user who have to put up with the long term loan, live with all kind of abnormal component noises and have little option to move up to a foreign brand.

Have Proton done enough to ensure their continuous existence and benefit the public with good and reasonably priced car?

If you read my previous article, I did mention about the ‘locality’ of the material and technology of making a car. Our automotive need to be architecture to meet those entire requirements to ensure our global competitiveness. Then our government need to ease up on the tax to ensure affordability.
Looking at the customer perspective, most of Proton buyer with Proton own Campro engine has major issues with the engine performance. Unfortunately, CAMRPO is the only engine that Proton own. How about the transmission? We do not manufacture our own transmission. Putting this into global competitiveness aspect, we will not stand a chance to have to outsource one of the major vehicle components.
As an immediate step, I would strongly suggest Proton to look onto second-generation engine and manufacture own transmission. Along the way, a new breed of suppliers need to be nurtured on producing high precision machining and forging as part of essential ingredient for engine and transmission.
Government can’t hide Proton under NAP forever. The public are not to shoulder Proton forever. It has to end and soon.
To prepare for the inevitable future, measures need to be taken on reducing the loan term. This 9 years loan is not healthy for automotive industry. Gradually, the loan term ceiling needs to be reduced. Second-hand market is hurting and new car buyer is further constricted.
To have Malaysia to be the automotive centre of this region is too late and not worth to fight for. Thailand is well too established with that. Thailand offers consistent local labour, higher range of technology availability, cooler climate, more food and better entertainment. Malaysia on the other hand offers unpredictable policy, prepaid quality recognition, high transportation cost, political intervention, self-interest and ever-changing foreign labour.