BYD’s decision shows Malaysia’s need to grow beyond CKD
This article was originally published by FMT and is republished here with permission. Malaysia’s next automotive strategy should be less obsessed with the nationality of the badge on the bonnet and more interested in the value created underneath it. I’ve been watching Malaysia make cars for more than 40 years. As an motoring writer, I test-drove the Proton Saga when it was launched in 1985, and saw it become the centre of attention. The narrative then was that Proton marked the beginning of Malaysia’s journey towards becoming an automotive nation. Four decades later, perhaps it is time to ask an…