Beberapa tahun yang lalu, di milis ini pernah ada diskusi sangat
intens (berlangsung berminggu-minggu) tentang proyek "mobil nasional"
- dan apakah perlu Indonesia ikut membuatnya.
Tanpa disadari saat ini, sekalipun Indonesia tidak membuat "mobil
nasional" - tetapi negara kita saat ini tercatat sebagai eksportir
mobil untuk kawasan ASEAN, dengan volume cukup baik. Mobil-mobil merk
Honda dan Toyota Kijang produksi Indonesia -- berseliweran di berbagai
kota di kawasan ASEAN. Sementara dalam kerangka pasar bersama ASEAN,
harga sedan Toyota buatan Thailand - menjadi relatif terjangkau di
Indonesia (dan ikut jadi biang macet di ibu kota).
Lalu bagaimana dengan negara anggota ASEAN yang tetap ngotot bikin
"mobil nasional" sendiri? Beritanya ada di bawah ini... Bagi pemilik
mobil Proton -- tentu perlu ekstra hati-hati...
Proton May Not Survive on Own After Talks With Volkswagen End
2007-11-20 18:06 (New York)
By Angus Whitley
Nov. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Proton Holdings Bhd., Malaysia's
unprofitable state-owned carmaker, may not survive on its own
after the government ended talks for a partnership with
Volkswagen AG.
Malaysia's government investment unit yesterday said it
ended talks for an alliance with Europe's largest carmaker and
General Motors Corp. of the U.S. in order to give Proton more
time to reverse losses. A strategic alliance can be considered
later ``if necessary,'' the agency said.
``It's a big set back for Proton,'' said Raymond Tang, who
oversees $5.4 billion at CIMB-Principal Asset Management Bhd. in
Kuala Lumpur. ``The company needs new technology from a partner.
They don't have the resources to make it on their own.''
Proton, which has reported five straight quarterly losses,
had been looking for a partner to help produce fresh models and
revive sales. While demand for a new Proton rolled out in August
beat company forecasts, that won't be sufficient to allow the
24-year-old carmaker to go it alone, some analysts said.
``Although management has done a commendable job at turning
around the company, it probably won't be enough,'' said Vincent
Khoo, head of research at Aseambankers Malaysia Bhd. in Kuala
Lumpur. Proton still needs a partner, he said.
The company lost 589.5 million ringgit ($175 million) last
fiscal year. The search for a partner followed the end of an
alliance with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in 2004, and the loss of
half of Proton's market share to rivals including Toyota Motor
Corp. Proton shares have slumped 25 percent this year.
New Model
Still, the new Persona sedan, introduced in August, notched
up 22,000 bookings by the end of October, Malaysian Second
Finance Nor Mohamed Yakcop told reporters late yesterday. Proton,
which planned to sell 4,000 of the vehicles a month, may report
a profit in 2009, Nor said.
``We must give Proton management the flexibility to move on
and carry out its turnaround plan,'' Nor said. ``We are not
saying there will be no strategic partnership. It's a very
attractive idea, but we also have to look at the interest of the
country.''
Protons, driven by taxi drivers across Malaysia, are among
the cheapest cars on offer in the Southeast Asian nation. The
carmaker was set up in 1983 by then-Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad as a manufacturing emblem. The Saga saloon is still on
sale more than two decades after the first model was produced.
Proton's turnaround plan includes offering all its models
in Thailand by the end of November, Nor said yesterday. Proton
aims to sell cars in India and to double exports this year and
next, it said in September. The carmaker in July agreed with
Jinhua Youngman Automobile Manufacturing Co. to sell cars in
China.
General Motors
The Persona, which was Proton's first new car in more than
a year, may help the automaker return to profit as early as 2009,
analysts at Hwang-DBS Vickers Research Sdn. said in August.
The Malaysian government controls Proton though a 43
percent stake held by Khazanah Nasional Bhd., Malaysia's state-
owned investment unit.
Proton and Volkswagen jointly ended the talks, the
Wolfsburg, Germany-based company said yesterday. Initial
negotiations between the two companies collapsed in January last
year after the parties failed to agree on terms, including
control of the maker of Waja and Wira sedans.
The German automaker will now expand its sales and service
network in Southeast Asia, in particular within Malaysia, it
said in its statement. A partnership with Proton offered
Volkswagen access to a regional manufacturing site.
General Motors is still interested in Proton, Rob Leggat, a
spokesman for the Detroit-based carmaker, said in an e-mail
yesterday.
--With reporting by Soraya Permatasari and Manirajan Ramasamy in
Kuala Lumpur and Chad Thomas in Berlin. Editor: T.Jordan (snc)
To contact the reporter on this story:
Angus Whitley in Kuala Lumpur at +60-3-2160-6801 or
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Tony Jordan at +65-6212-1150 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
