Proton and Patriotism

Proton and Patriotism

I often read in newspapers, social media, and blogs about stories related to PROTON. I have a “soft spot” for this vehicle for various reasons.

PROTON was my industrial university after I completed my Bachelor’s degree in 1998 and my Master’s at USM Penang in 1999 (You can guess my age if you do the math.) My interest in the automotive industry, especially motorsports, runs deep. After completing my Master’s and waiting for a few months before the graduation ceremony in 1999, I received an offer to pursue a Doctorate. However, at the same time, the allure of working in the automotive industry was strong, and Allah granted me the choice as I received an offer to work at USPD (Proton-DRB joint venture); now known as Proton Edar, as a Marketing Executive. Due to my deep interest, I accepted the job offer and kept the Doctorate offer letter until the moment I am writing this article.

My story with Proton began in June 1999, at the USPD office, Lim Building Jalan Ipoh KL. The attraction was actually seeing Karamjit Singh’s success with the PERT team at the time, and I often thought, “It would be great to have a chance to drive a rally car like that.”

Since then, I was exposed to various Proton models and started to get to know Proton when I joined the Proton Precision Driving Team alongside Faidzil Alang and Norhisham, under the guidance of Tengku Azizan (Head of the Homologation & Testing Department at that time). My deep interest and knowledge of Lotus Ride & Handling, as well as the benefits of the chassis and various aspects of Proton, gave me a new dimension in understanding Proton. When I became involved directly as a driver for the Proton Precision Driving Team in 1999, the promotions at that time were to showcase the excellence of the Proton Waja across the country. During this process, I was exposed to the Proton Waja manufacturing process and gained deeper insights into the advantages of Proton. I felt a sense of patriotism that was not forced when seeing Malaysians at the Proton factory building the vehicles, and my passion for Proton has only grown stronger to this day.

However, I see that most writings and displays seem to portray the Proton brand negatively, suggesting it has many shortcomings and almost all incidents related to this brand are negative.

I wonder, do other vehicles not break down? Do other vehicles never experience problems? Are other vehicles so “flawless,” without any defects?

The “Power Window” issue is blown out of proportion as if it were a major problem. Issues and problems are displayed in social media and some newspapers as if the Proton brand is terrible and ruthlessly criticizes every owner.

I am writing this out of sincerity, with no coercion or payment from any party. I feel that negative elements from some parties have indoctrinated others who do not yet own a Proton but have been scared off by negative news, possibly affecting Proton’s sales.

Vehicles are machines, and every machine needs maintenance and repairs; breakdowns are normal for machines. If you visit service centers of expensive brands, their vehicles also break down, sometimes more severely, but perhaps due to better “Customer Complaints” or “Customer Service,” we rarely hear such news about these vehicles.

We see stories of Ferraris and Lamborghinis catching fire on social media, but the news ends there. However, if a Proton vehicle catches fire or has a problem, it goes viral and seems to be a global issue. Is this fair to the Proton brand? Is it fair for us as Malaysians (because we tend to criticize and belittle) to disparage our country’s manufactured vehicles? Have we ever seen Italians or people from San Cesario criticizing Pagani Zonda or people from Maranello belittling Ferrari, or Sant’Agata residents viralizing Lamborghini fires?

Many social media readers make negative assumptions without knowing Proton’s technology. Proton is undergoing a process of technological, manufacturing, and service evolution over time. Be patient and support our national industry if we want to see progress. Try test-driving a Proton. Compare Proton with its “peers” in the same class and avoid comparing it with vehicles from different segments. It is not fair to compare Usain Bolt’s speed with that of a national SUKMA 100M sprinter, even though they compete in the same category but at different levels.

I am not talking about politics and have no political agenda here. For me, this is about patriotism that we can show for the development of the automotive industry. Our patriotism can exist not just for Proton but also for other Malaysian-made products. Even if we do not support or like Proton or other Malaysian-made products, please do not denigrate or criticize them. If there are issues, contact the relevant parties.

The world is not a “perfect” place. If you dislike nasi lemak and prefer Aglio Olio, simply keep quiet and enjoy Aglio Olio without criticizing nasi lemak’s calorie content on social media.

We are free to choose whatever we like, but avoid criticism and negativity. For those of us who are Muslims, Allah says that if we cover the faults of others, Allah will cover our faults in the Hereafter.

I hope Proton continues to progress, God willing.