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Roslan Abdullah appointed Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Proton

Roslan Abdullah has been appointed as the Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Proton. Concurrently, he is also appointed as the CEO of Proton Edar Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the carmaker which is involved in the distribution of Proton cars and providing sales and aftersales services to customers in Malaysia.

Having spent close to three decades in the automotive sector, Encik Roslan brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge about Malaysia’s automotive landscape. His stint in the industry covered finance, operations and sales roles. Prior to his move to Proton, the Finance & Accountancy degree holder from the University of Brighton, United Kingdom, oversaw the operations of DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd (DEFTECH). He also spent many years as the President & Chief Operating Officer at Honda Malaysia.

His appointment will further strengthen Proton’s team to achieve its long-term goal and objectives, according to Dr. Dr Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton. “We are happy to welcome Roslan Abdullah to the PROTON family and we look forward to his positive contributions to Proton’s performance during this challenging period.

Click here for more news and articles on Proton.

War on COVID-19: Geely donates RM5.5 million of medical supplies to Malaysia

From the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, the Geely Holding Group was already actively working on ways to join in the fight against the virus. Apart from making donations and providing support vehicles for frontliners, the company also used its R&D capabilities to quickly develop an in-car ventilation system that can keep the cabin air virus-free.

Now that the critical situation in China has diminished and the country is progressing towards normalcy, Geely Holding is helping other countries that are having the pandemic. In the case of Malaysia, where Geely and its local partner DRB-HICOM own and operate Proton, assistance is being given in the form of medical supplies.

The donation, consisting of disposable 3-ply surgical masks, protective medical clothing, medical goggles and PL 700 ADV ventilators, all of which are constantly required as they are replaced frequently. These items will be distributed to 55 hospitals located throughout the country through the Ministry of Health.

The donation, worth approximately RM5.5 million, is part of a larger initiative by Geely Holding to supply medical equipment via the Li Shufu Charity Foundation to affected areas in China and to countries where it has significant international operations. It aims to help local healthcare providers and communities at large in their battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The foundation was established in 2006 by Geely Holding’s founder, Li Shufu, with a focus on poverty alleviation and helping with national disasters. In January 2020, it set aside RMB200 million (about RM120.33 million) to support the fight against COVID-19 on a global basis.

“As a socially responsible company, we have a duty to support the well-being of every market in which we operate. I am proud that we have the resources and logistics capability to ship vital supplies to areas hard-hit by this global pandemic. We will play our part, whenever possible, to lend support to communities and medical authorities to overcome this global challenge”, said Geely Holding’s Chairman, Li Shufu.

PROTON X70 — *Some of the X70 SUVs loaned by Proton to the Health Ministry.*

In addition to medical supplies received from China, Proton has loaned 50 units of its X70 to the Ministry of Health for their logistical operations. The carmaker has also produced 60,000 units of face shields at its factory.

Meanwhile, DRB-HICOM has been an active supporter of COVID-19 relief efforts in Malaysia. Along with other subsidiaries under its parent company, the Albukhary Group, the Malaysian conglomerate has contributed cash donations, medical equipment, meals for government hospitals, media frontliners and university students, as well as long-range drones for monitoring and surveillance purposes.

“As a key contributor to the nation’s economy, we felt compelled to assist the government in its battle against the spread of COVID-19. The frontliners form the country’s backbone in this fight, and it is essential for us to assist them in any way possible. We are especially fortunate to have a partner like Geely who has been extremely generous in leveraging their resources to make this happen,” said Dato’ Sri Syed Faisal Albar, Chairman of Proton.

Geely sends medical equipment and supplies to Malaysia and other countries

First Made-in-Malaysia Proton X70 officially rolls out at Tg. Malim factory

At long last, locally-made versions of the Proton X70 are now being released, one year and one day after it was launched in Malaysia as the first joint product of the DRB-HICOM partnership in the Malaysian carmaker.

Until today, Proton has been making the X70 in China and bringing the SUV in as a completely built-up (CBU) vehicle, just like some models of other makes from Europe and Japan. However, even though the vehicles were made in China, many parts were sent from Malaysian suppliers so even before today, Malaysian-made parts have been incorporated.

One of the reasons for using parts from Malaysia was that the X70 is a righthand drive model and the factory in China doesn’t make such a variant, so parts have not been made there. The other reason could be that the volume required was ‘small’ by the standards of vendors in China and as their supply would not be needed after a year, it was probably not worthwhile for them.

The plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak, has been in existence since 2004 but when Geely became involved, a major renovation was undertaken and a new RM1.2 billion extension was added. New manufacturing processes and equipment were also installed to raise efficiency and productivity along with quality.

Developing the vendor eco system
At the same time, Proton worked together with local and overseas vendors to establish a supply chain for parts required to build its first SUV, would be in place when production activities began. During the preparatory phase prior to start of production some months ago, Proton worked closely with its local vendors to match them with other companies who were already supplying components for the SUV.

These efforts resulted in 7 new joint-ventures being formed as both local and foreign companies started partnerships based in Malaysia to share competencies and production resources.

Other business relationships established include technical agreements and foreign direct investments, resulting in a total investment of RM263 million and the creation of 1,084 jobs as the vendor community gears up to create a pipeline of high technology components for the X70 and future models.

Production hub for RHD vehicles
“Today marks a historical milestone for Proton as we take another step towards being a global automotive brand. By producing the Proton X70 in Tanjung Malim, we have taken a quantum leap in our abilities as this is by far our most ambitious undertaking to date. This new plant will not only produce future products jointly developed with Geely but it will also be a centre for right-hand-drive production as we begin exports to countries all over world,” said Dato’ Sri Syed Faisal Albar, Proton’s Chairman, at the exclusive and private roll-out ceremony held earlier today,

An Conghui, President & CEO of Geely Auto Group, confirmed that Proton’s position within the Geely Auto Group is to be a valuable partner to grow sales in ASEAN markets.

“PROTON has undergone a tremendous transformation over the past 2 years. This experience has worked out very well for us at Geely Auto as we are happy to help Proton realize its global aspirations. We will continue to support Proton as it grows in the Malaysian market and in the wider ASEAN region and beyond,” he added.

Proton sales doubled in November

DRB-HICOM Commercial Vehicles Lancarkan Tata Super Ace Dan Rangkaian Kenderaan Komersial Ultra Di Malaysia

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DRB-HICOM Commercial Vehicles Launches The Tata Super Ace & Ultra Range Of Commercial Vehicles In Malaysia

Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, along with its authorized distributor DRB-HICOM Commercial Vehicles Sdn. Bhd. (DHCV), recently launched the Tata Super Ace and the Ultra range of commercial vehicles in Malaysia. These vehicles have been designed for the modern commercial vehicle customer, with superior performance, world-class cabins, high load carrying capacity and flexible body-load configurations.

Tata Super Ace – The Tata Super Ace is a 1 ton mini-truck from Tata Motors, for inter-city and intra-city transportation solutions. Optimally powered by a 1405 cc diesel engine, combined with a new body design and cutting edge technology, the Tata Super Ace will offer customers with an opportunity to start their dream business with a very small investment. The Tata Super Ace is based on the popular Tata Ace mini-truck from Tata Motors. Having sold over a million units since it was first launched in 2005, the Tata Ace has been a revolutionary product and is a result of Tata Motors deep understanding of the market and consumer.

The Tata Ace has been a preferred choice for last-mile transportation with a footprint spanning 28 countries across South Asia, Africa and the ASEAN. The Tata Super Ace can be customized for various small scale business operations, for the transportation of construction items, food grains, fruits, FMCG and white goods or could be configured to be a food truck, an ice-cream truck or a mobile store on wheels.

Tata Ultra range of commercial vehicles – Based on a combination of world-class performance parameters, with enhanced levels of durability and reliability of the Ultra platform, this range will enable Tata Motors to set new benchmarks in the Intermediate commercial vehicles space in Malaysia. A combination of driver comfort, high load carrying-capacity and safety, along with best life-cycle cost, makes this new offering from Tata Motors, versatile for various applications.

The Ultra 814 offers enhanced levels of durability and reliability on the Ultra platform. It is powered by new generation NG 3.0 Lt CRDI engine coupled with next generation transmission. Available in 4.5T Payload with highest body option of 5.5M, Tata Ultra provides customers complete flexibility, for varying business requirements. All these together make the Ultra 814 a reliable asset and the most efficient solution for optimum business profitability. The Ultra 1014 offers faster turnaround time and enhanced profitability for any goods carrying business, making it an ideal work-horse for movement of materials across distances.

The driveline of the Ultra 1014, has the latest NG 3.0Lt engine with an output of 140 HP, a new-generation transmission with aluminum casing – the 6 Speed – G-550 overdrive gear box, with cable-shift mechanism and axle technology, with reduced weight, ensures superior performance and greater fuel efficiency for varied payloads. The longer wheelbase of 4530 mm makes Tata Ultra the perfect Business Utility Vehicle, suitable for varying business applications such as FMCG, white goods etc.

Speaking at the event, DRB-HICOM’s Dato’ Abdul Harith Abdullah, Chief Operating Officer, Automotive Distribution, Defence and Manufacturing & Engineering said, the launch was a key milestone for the Group in getting a foothold of the growing CV market in Malaysia.

“With these new products unveiled today, which are competitively priced with superior features, we are confident it will gain traction amongst our target users in the near term. DHCV’s deep expertise in the area of importing, assembling and distributing foreign marques in Malaysia is well established since 1979.

Our local knowledge coupled with a robust dealer network across the country has been crucial to our success thus far. With our partner Tata Motors, we are confident about making a significant impact in the selected commercial vehicle categories and thus grabbing market share incrementally in what is a very competitive niche market. The economy is poised to grow this year which bodes well for our joint venture with Tata Motors.”

Harith added that they are very confident about the market acceptance of the new Ultra variants and specifically, Tata Super Ace which is expected to be popular with small business owners across Malaysia.

Commenting on the launch of the three new commercial vehicles, Mr. Rudrarup Maitra, Head – Commercial Vehicles, International Business, Tata Motors, said, “Malaysia is one of our key markets in South-East Asia and we are delighted to be a part of one of the fastest growing ASEAN nations. An integral part of our presence here is DRB-HICOM, a partner that has showcased tremendous enthusiasm and passion over the years. With this partnership we can truly establish a long-term relationship with our customers in Malaysia. It gives us immense pleasure to chart out our growth story and expand our portfolio in this market. We are delighted to bring the three new commercial vehicles to Malaysia today.”

DHCV and Tata Motors say they will continue to explore new potentials, customer’s preference and conduct researches for new product variants to sustain their growth and expansion for the medium to long term.

Customers in Malaysia are currently served by a network of 24 outlets located at strategic locations and in major townships, nationwide. DHCV aims to expand this reach in tandem with sales growth and market.

For the full price list of the new Tata commercial vehicles, click here: Price List – New Models