Malaysia to launch new car in 2021

Car to be produced locally with some technical support from Daihatsu Motor, official says

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA - Malaysia said Friday it will launch a locally manufactured car in 2021.

The announcement came as the country's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad drove visiting Indonesian President Joko Widodo in a Proton Persona car, a 1983 model founded by Mahathir.

Malaysia’s International Trade and Industry Minister Darell Leiking said that the first model of the new national car will be launched by March 2021, local daily The Star reported.

“It will likely be a C-segment sedan [developed] by DreamEDGE company,” he told a news conference at the company office.

The report said that Japanese carmaker Daihatsu Motor will lend support in "areas of advanced technology" but not be an equity partner to the local company.

"The project will be privately funded and would not use government funds," the minister said.

The company is expected to come up with the first prototype in March 2020.

"They [DreamEDGE] have a good business model and we believe this can work… the prime minister is convinced with [the proposal]," he added.

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