Partnership with Suzuki will boost Proton's sales - MAA

The partnership with Japanese carmaker, Suzuki Motor Corp, will help boost Proton Holdings Bhd's sales, said Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) president, Datuk Aishah Ahmad.

She said MAA would like to see Proton survive and do well.

"The company's comeback will also be good for Malaysia's car sector," she said after announcing My Auto Fest 2016, a three-day car event which was scheduled to be take place on May.

She said Proton was set to launch new models in the middle of this year.

Proton signed a partnership deal with Suzuki earlier this year and it included plans to jointly develop new models and production by year-end.

Proton, established in 1983, has been hit hard due to various quality related issues coupled with the lack of export markets.

Aishah believed that Proton's sales would eventually pick up and in turn revive the number of vendors for the national car once it has fixed issues on getting the right products with its partnership with Suzuki.

She said My Auto Fest 2016 aimed to tackle the lower sales volume recorded in the first two months of 2016.

As at February 2016, Aishah said, the number of vehicles sold stood at 82,465 units compared with 100,992 units in February 2015.

"The slightly lower sales were mainly due to consumer confidence that remained fragile amid the economic uncertainty and the weakening of the ringgit," she said.

She said they were also attributed to difficulty in securing finance for new car purchases due to banks' reluctance in extending loans to car buyers.