The Proton Story is a clear example of how a Malaysia-China partnership has worked.
MALAYSIA’S national carmaker, Proton is set to end 2025 on a high note with the launch of a new Saga, the 2026 Proton Saga MC3.
Once viewed as a struggling legacy brand, Proton today stands tall as one of South-East Asia’s fastest-growing automotive players.
It is stronger in technology, broader in reach, and more confident in its global ambitions.
More importantly, it has been the main national automobile player in the push towards green mobility.
Without doubt Proton’s performance this year has been a bright spot in the industrial landscape – a story of recovery, reinvention, and regional relevance.
The key milestones included a historic crossing the five-million production mark, a symbolic achievement that reflects four decades of Malaysian engineering evolution.
The year saw rising sales and market strength with domestic demand for Proton’s SUVs – particularly the X50, X70 and the electric vehicle or EV-based e.MAS 7 – remaining robust.
According to data, cumulative 2026 sales are projected to surpass 155,000 units, maintaining Proton’s strong 20% market share in Malaysia.
Exports also grew, with new markets in Africa, the Middle East and South-East Asia driving record volumes through Proton International Corp although there are still teething challenges.
But for ordinary Malaysians, the buzzing excitement is Proton’s electrification and the e.MAS series this year.
Proton’s new e.MAS 7 and e.MAS 5 represent the brand’s firm pivot toward electric mobility. The cars feature Geely’s modular EV platform, assembled and localised in Malaysia.
e.MAS 7 is currently the highest selling EV model in the country with already above 7,000 units sold as of September 2025.
Meanwhile, e.MAS 5, launched at the end of last month, already garnered over 10,000 bookings even when the sales have not started yet, certainly a respectable start in a nascent but growing segment.
The EV sector is a highly competitive market with many entrants from China which offer strong prices. That means, Malaysians have many options to pick from.
The year also saw Proton’s manufacturing upgrades at Tanjung Malim, where Proton City is located.
In September, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched Proton’s new EV plant there.
The RM82mil factory, which sits on a 5.57-acre site within Proton’s complex in Tanjung Malim, has a first phase initial capacity of 20,000 units per annum and the original target for completion was by end-2025, wrote prominent automotive journalist Paul Tan.
Proton’s continuous investment in the Automotive High-Tech Valley (AHTV) in Tanjung Malim underpins its strategy for future-ready production.
The state-of-the-art plant not only supports EVs but also serves as a training as well as research and development (R&D) hub for Malaysian engineers and suppliers.
The year also saw Proton moving its Shah Alam operations to Tanjung Malim which involved 1,400 employees after over four decades of car production at the facility that produced the country’s first national car.
According to a Bernama report, the number of workers is expected to increase to 10,000 by 2027 and that does not include their family members.
On Sept 26, the last Proton Saga MC2, rolled off the Shah Alam assembly line, according to Tan, which marked the end of a historic journey that began in 1985, when the first Proton Saga was assembled at the same facility.
The move isn’t just a relocation but a major move to a new direction. Tanjung Malim, located in southern Perak, will be a stronger central hub for new model launches and next generation EVs production.
The AHTV project, a RM40bil joint venture between China’s auto giant Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Ltd (Geely) and DRB-Hicom Bhd
, is reported to include talent development, R&D and urbanisation.
The Proton Story is a clear example of how a Malaysia-China partnership has worked.
It is a real story of how a partnership that began in 2017 and has mature into one of the most successful Malaysia-China industrial collaborations to date.
“The Proton-Geely partnership is tangible, productive, and transformative.
“It has revitalised the national carmaker, introduced cutting-edge technology, and integrated Malaysian workers and suppliers into a global automotive value chain,’’ as one report put it.
But the Proton Story should also be about people. The collaboration has directly and indirectly benefited more than 60,000 Malaysians, including those working in manufacturing, logistics, engineering, sales, and component industries.
This does not include Malaysians of all races who enjoy the spillover effects in Tanjung Malim in other services.
Geely’s investment has upgraded local supplier capabilities, bringing in higher technology content and quality standards, and through the joint venture, Proton has gained access to Geely’s platforms, R&D resources, and global network, allowing it to accelerate new model development and export readiness.
But beyond the rosy picture, Proton will still have to face challenges next year.
It will continue to see heightened competition from other Chinese EV brands, profit margin pressures and urgent need to expand internationally.
It has to expand its offerings including an affordable e.MAS 3 model for the mass market by 2027 and increase export growth, targeting 60,000 units by 2030.
Proton also has to meet its stated ambition to be a top-three automaker in Asean by 2030.
As a national car, the Proton is the pride of the nation. Anwar became the first Prime Minister to actually chair a meeting at the Proton plant in Tanjung Malim, signifying his personal support for the national car.
Less talked about is Proton’s support to the Madani Government’s Rahmah Payung programme, to help Malaysians, through its one-month Servis Ihsan Madani, aimed at easing the cost of vehicle ownership, including promotional service packages and free safety inspection from Sept 11.
It is aimed at the low-income group, to reduce the burden of the cost of living related to vehicle maintenance costs, and Proton is the only one to have supported the initiative.
The year will see Proton setting a new record as it will be having its own Intellectual Property rights under the new and future series of Advanced Modular Architecture platforms developed by Proton in collaboration with Geely.
It will form the foundation for new Proton models starting with the 2026 Proton Saga MC3. It’s a big deal for Proton as it will be the only national car company to own its full rights.
National journalism laureate Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai is the chairman of Bernama. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
