cookie-cutter comments

Tun Mahathir’s been saying quite a bit of things about the revamped Proton, which still a headless chicken as far as I’m concerned. A September 7th article in the EdgeDaily carries a short interview with the Man concerning Proton’s future and the current state of events in his pet project. Much of what he’s said is in his own characteristic style: protestations of ignorance couched in words meant to infuse the listening public with the impression that he’s not exactly being truthful. Politician’s sophistry? Maybe:

“Well, I don’t know. I have not been told about these things but you are going to find a lot of things wrong with Proton now,” said the former prime minister, in response to a question on a news report that Proton may shelve plans for a production plant in China.

It’s the same ambivalence I find in Mahathir again. On the one hand, he’s a big supporter of Tengku Mahaleel, and on the other hand, he seems to know that Proton’s in a whole world of trouble. What’s going on, here? Is there something wrong with Proton or not? And did Mahathir know while he was Prime Minister? And did he do a damn thing about it while he was in power?

An example is the announcement of the provision for doubtful and bad debts amounting to some RM 136 million. Just what does the latter figure represent? Rising costs from mismanagement? Funds blown away under the cover of some obscure project or another?

If anything, the following is a sign that he’s washed his hands off his own project:

Asked about Proton’s poor sales, Dr Mahathir said: “I don’t like to comment too much on this. It is the management’s prerogative. They can decide for themselves.”

On his relationship with the Proton board, he said: “I have not had any contact with them.”

Asked about Proton’s outlook, Dr Mahathir said: “That will be for the management and the board to determine.” Asked about his gut feeling on the matter, he said: “My own gut feelings ? I don’t have any guts.”

Who needs competitors when you’ve got ‘advisors’ like Mahathir?

But what really takes the cake is Mahathir’s recent address to the Global Leadership Forum 2005, reported in the EdgeDaily.

He also said the people would probably not be happy losing their Malaysian identity.

“For example, it would probably be more rational and profitable to close down an inefficient local industry or bank and let the giant foreign corporations or banks supply all the needs of the people.

“In Malaysia, Proton cars should be replaced with the cars of the giants so that cost of development, etc could be saved, and the prices reduced. Malayan Banking (Bhd) could easily be acquired by Citibank or HSBC.

“If losses increased in Malaysia, it does not matter to the foreign giants because they would be making a lot of money elsewhere.

“Not having a national car or Malaysian bank is no big deal because Malaysia would be serviced by industries and banks which operate worldwide,” said Dr Mahathir, who is also adviser to national oil company Petroliam Nasional Bhd and national carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd.

However, he added: “Malaysians would probably be richer but even if no effort is made to give them a role in these giants, by and large, they would be mere worker bees.”

There are no guarantees, by and large, that only ‘white men’ or foreigners will lead vested interests here in Malaysia. While some would disagree, I do think that pragmatism would mean that the best person will be chosen to do the necessary; if there are no suitable Malaysians to do the work, then said companies will outsource. But this, of course, goes against the current Malay-fundamentalist thinking spearheaded by our dear Hishammudin: only a Malay-sian is suitable for the job of leading both MAS and Proton, of course, no matter their qualifications for the job, eh?

It’s always a socio-political agenda, isn’t it? Because while he admits that it would be both more ‘rational and profitable’ to, essentially, get the right people to run these politicized white elephants, he goes right ahead and suggests that it won’t be in our best interests because, he says:

…globalisation was a challenge as it was defined and interpreted by the rich and powerful countries.

“These countries see a lot of opportunities for them and their giant cooperations to exploit countries like Malaysia,” Dr Mahathir said.

He said national interests of the countries concerned would be sacrificed.

I wonder what he thinks of, for example, Carlos Ghosn running Nissan. It seems to Mahathir that it is more important that such ‘national companies’ be run by Malay-sians rather than being actually run with some efficiency and proficiency.

It’s fairly stupid, actually.