Not really. If Proton and Perodua wants to be better, what they need is competition. If they lock out the 'world's standard' measurement for cars, and build according to what they dictate, of course they'll fair badly overseas la.

I mean, you want to excel, what you need is some competition with world standards. If you confine the whole Malaysia football team to just competitions in Malaysia, we would think they're gods by now. But let them out abit and play with some ASEAN folks, man such humuliating results. At least now they know they need to buck up.

Meh, if you think Proton is good, then open up the damn market and play fair.

Top Gear has been giving bad reviews to other top tier manufacturers before, but instead of whining, alot of them return with cars that actually changes their mind.

That is the brain washed mentality that local car makers are trying to put into everyone's head.

You guys dont get it.

If you remove the protectionism, prices of other carmakers cars that is better in quality, performance, etc will be almost the same as what you pay for a Persona or Waja. Its nothing about whether Proton can make this or that. Its we're paying more, for less, because of the protection given to local car manufacturers.

Take out the high import duties on foreign car. Then with the same amount of money you are paying for a "mid range Proton" such as Gen2/Persona/Waja, you can get a better performing, better quality car. Wit 25 years, you'd expect Proton be able to provide a car that is at least comparable with other foreign manufacturers, but nooooo, protectionism made them sloppy and complacent.

I'm proud of Proton that can make cars that can actually compete on same playing level with foreign cars. I am not proud of a baby-fed, mommy's boy of a carmaker that survives just because big daddy is protecting it from its competitors.

The only reason why people say, wow premium priced foreign vehicles like City or Vios, etc etc, is because the goverment is the one that made it premium priced. Without protectionism, prices of those 'expensive, for rich, or well to do people' kinda car actuall will cost like any other Proton mid range or high end vehicle. Proton cars seem 'affordable' just because the gov jacked up all other foreign cars.

So yeah, if you guys want to be proud of Proton, and want to support it, the take off the protection, let the price of foreign vehicles drop to the same price as current Protons, and tell me that you would continue to buy Proton. I'll only be proud of it if they can be like a man, and take on the other carmakers head to head. Make a car that is worthy of respect (price/performance), they they shall get that respct.