Malaysia

3 successive quarters of pre-tax profits

SHAH ALAM, Malaysia, 26 May 2008 – PROTON Holdings Berhad posted a third successive quarter of pre-tax profits and ended the 31 March 2008 financial year with a group pre-tax profit of RM162 million. PROTON Chairman Dato' Mohammed Azlan Hashim said the three successive quarters in the black point to better financial health for PROTON and this can be attributed to its focus on operational improvements and its perseverance, which are beginning to show positive results.

3 Successive quarters of pre-tax profits

SHAH ALAM, 26 May 2008 – PROTON Holdings Berhad posted a third successive quarter of pre-tax profits and ended the 31 March 2008 financial year with a group pre-tax profit of RM162 million.

PROTON Chairman Dato' Mohammed Azlan Hashim said the three successive quarters in the black point to better financial health for PROTON and this can be attributed to its focus on operational improvements and its perseverance, which are beginning to show positive results.

Petaling Jaya, 5 May 2008 -- Proton Edar Sdn Bhd today launched its 10th Servis Mesra outlet in Damansara Jaya. Servis Mesra is a collaborative Service Centre concept between Proton Edar and Petronas via the latter's service station network. This collaboration enables PROTON to reach out to its customers outside the coverage area of Proton Edar's service branches and Authorized Service Dealers.

The Servis Mesra Damansara Jaya 2, located at the Petronas Station in Jalan SS22/48, is also Proton Edar's 35th service centre in the country. The centre will cater for the residential and business areas around the Petaling Jaya and Damansara Jaya locale. The outlet is just within 300 meters from the commercial area of the Damansara Utama township, school and housing areas.

Second country after Singapore to receive the Proton Persona sedan

Brunei, 8 April– PROTON revved up its export optimisation plans with the launch of Persona in Brunei. The sedan was launched by the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Brunei Darussalam, Dato Ku’ Jaafar Ku Shaari.

The PROTON Persona, which has been driving sales in the domestic market with over 35,000 bookings since its launch on 16 July 2007, was first exported to Singapore in October last year and is expected to be a key factor in PROTON’s export optimisation drive.

Brunei has been a good market for PROTON and the company sees it as a potentially strong growth market and is confident of Persona’s performance in the country.

Shanghai, China, 09 April 2008 -- A1 Team Malaysia will be in China this week for the penultimate round of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport 2007/08 season at the Shanghai International Circuit. Alex Yoong will return with Team Malaysia to the circuit where he scored the first A1GP victory in China, taking victory in the Sprint Race during the first season of A1GP.

A1 Team Malaysia: Aiming for Points in Shanghai at the penultimate round of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport 2007/08 season

Shah Alam, 31 March 2008 -- PROTON is recalling its PROTON Savvy cars to address a possible problem.

In line with PROTON's continuing commitment to quality, regular random checks are conducted on PROTON cars as part of its i.Care programme. The results from the most recent inspection brought to attention the possibility of water entry into the rear wheel-bearing which could lead to a malfunction of the affected components.

PROTON's Managing Director Dato' Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said, "The safety and satisfaction of our customers is a primary concern. As a precautionary measure, we are recalling all Savvy's for inspection and repair. We do apologise to all the Savvy owners for any inconvenience".

Shah Alam, 19 March 2008 -- PROTON Holdings Berhad today announced the appointment of Encik Mohamad Shukor bin Ibrahim as the new Chief Executive Officer of its frontline marketing arm, Proton Edar Sdn. Bhd.

Encik Mohamad Shukor, 44, holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from University of Missouri-Rolla in the USA, was also appointed as the Director of Domestic Sales (Domestic) of PROTON Holdings Berhad, taking over from Datuk Maruan bin Mohd. Said.

CPS Engine to Boost Performance

Shah Alam, 3 March 2008 – PROTON released an enhanced version of the Gen2 hatchback, fitting it with a CPS (Cam Profile Switching) engine, giving it a more sportier look while improving its performance at the same time.

The enhancement allows for a sportier and performance-driven model compared to the previous Gen2, while at the same time, retaining the hatchback's young and sporty image.

SHAH ALAM, MALAYASIA, 21 February, 2008 - PROTON Holdings Berhad continued to improve its financial performance, posting a profit before tax of RM11 million for the third quarter ended 31 December 2007.

The Group registered a profit before taxation of RM11 million for the current quarter, an improvement compared to the loss before tax of RM272 million incurred in the corresponding quarter in the last financial year. The positive return is achieved on the back of higher sales volume and lower operating costs.

Mexico City, 21 March 2007 -- A1 Team Malaysia will be racing in Mexico this weekend, with the ninth round of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport taking place in the capital city. The Series raced in the country last season, but this is the first event to be hosted at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, named after Mexico's most famous motor racing brothers, Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez.

The Malaysian team is joined by a new rookie driver, who will be making his race weekend debut for the team in Mexico and performing rookie duties for the remainder of the season. Aaron Lim, 22, drove the A1 Team Malaysia car in a test session at Silverstone in the UK last summer, but this will be his first experience of an A1GP event.

SHAH ALAM, 27 January 2008 – PROTON organised a Customer Appreciation Day to thank their loyal and supportive customers at an event held at the PROTON Centre of Excellence today.

The event introduced several new initiatives by PROTON with the aim of further improving customer relationship and creating a stronger rapport with PROTON customers. The appreciation ceremony was also one of the PROTON's ways of thanking them for their undivided support of the company and its products throughout the years.

18/01/2008 -- PROTON has now come full circle. The car that started it all for PROTON - the original PROTON SAGA – has been officially replaced by a new car that shares many of its predecessor's positive values

SHAH ALAM, 18 January 2008 – Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today officially launched the latest addition to the PROTON product line-up, the long-awaited replacement for the iconic PROTON SAGA.

BEIJING, CHINA, 9 January 2008 – The Proton GEN.2, rebadged as EUROPESTAR RCR for the China market, was officially launched today in Beijing. Launched by the Chairman of Youngman Automobile Sales Co. Ltd., Mr. Pang Qingnian and witnessed by the Chairman of PROTON Holdings Berhad, Dato' Mohd Azlan Hashim and the Malaysian Ambassador to China, His Excellency Dato' Norulzaman Syed Kamarulzaman. This launch paves the way for Proton cars to enter China, the world's fastest-growing car market.

Under its plans for the EUROPESTAR brand, Youngman is confident of selling the 30,000 completely built-up (CBU) units of GEN.2 it has ordered from PROTON within the 20 month delivery period.

SHAH ALAM, 4 January 2008 – PROTON's new sedan, codenamed BLM, will literally take shape in front of Malaysians at selected locations in the country as it is unveiled in stages in the days leading up to its official launch.

In a pre-launch 'ambience' campaign at shopping malls, PROTON will demonstrate the stage-by-stage build-up of the BLM to enable the public to have a sequential view of the processes involved in the development of a car.

These will be staged at Cineleisure Mutiara Damansara from 5 to 21 January, and at Queensbay Mall Penang and Plaza Angsana in Johor Baru between 8 to 21 January.

Global car continues roll out into new markets

KUALA LUMPUR, 19th December 2007 – Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM) launched today the all-new 2008 Nissan Grand Livina, one of a family of new global models from the company.

The Nissan Grand Livina is a mid-size 7-seater MPV, designed and engineered in the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, Japan, first introduced in China in 2006 followed by Indonesia, Taiwan & South Africa this year.

Shah Alam, 18 December 2007 - PROTON is recalling selected tyre jacks of their Gen.2 and Satria Neo models to address a possible quality problem.

Routine tests conducted on a batch of jacks supplied as standard equipment on PROTON Gen 2 and Satria Neo models revealed some inconsistencies in the quality of the jacks.

Focus on Operational Efficiency and Costs Management Yields Positive Results

SHAH ALAM, 30 November 2007 – PROTON Holdings has announced a profit before tax of RM4.95 million in the second quarter ended 30 September 2007.

This is a significant improvement compared with the pre-tax loss of RM240.48 million registered in the corresponding period last year. In the preceding quarter ended 30 June 2007, PROTON recorded a pre-tax loss of RM46.85 million.

The better results were registered on the back of higher revenue of RM1.31 billion from RM1.27 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Correspondingly, net profit after tax was RM3.51 million against an after tax loss of RM250.34 million previously.

- PROTON Enters Thailand with Gen.2, Savvy and Satria Neo
- New Face-lifted Gen.2 Unveiled in World Premier

SHAH ALAM, 28 November 2007 – PROTON added Thailand to its expanding list of export markets with the launch of it models today at the 24th Thailand International Motor Expo 2007 in Bangkok. The official ceremony was witnessed by the Malaysian Ambassador to Thailand, Dato' Sharaani Ibrahim.

2008 Proton Gen.2

J.D. Power Asia Pacific Reports: Perodua Myvi, Honda City, Honda Civic, Toyota Innova, and Ford Ranger Rank Highest in Initial Quality in Their Respective Segments

SINGAPORE: 30 November 2007 — Malaysian new-vehicle owners report experiencing the most problems with the vehicle exterior and engine/transmission, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2007 Malaysia Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) released today.

20/11/2007 -- PROTON respects the decision made by the Government with regards to the strategic alliance.

PROTON has been working on several initiatives even before negotiations began. These include new model development, quality improvements, dealer network consolidation and operational efficiency and export expansion.

We are now seeing some initial results of these initiatives, in particular the successful launch and reception of Persona, resulting in increased confidence amongst our customers and business associates as well as market share gains.