since 1976
since 1976
PROTON exchanged Strategic Collaboration documents with the Malaysia Automotive Robotics & IoT Institute (MARii) during the 2025 Global Automotive and Technology Expo (GATE 2025). The agreement outlines a 5-year collaboration between the two parties covering areas such as the development of a National Automotive Test Centre (NATC), and for 200 PROTON R&D engineers and technical personnel to be given hands-on R&D exposure via a structured programme.
Representing MARii at the document exchange ceremony was Azrul Reza Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of MARii while representing PROTON was Desmond Pinto, Vehicle Programme Executive for the Proton Saga. Datuk Aminar Rashid, Chairman of MARii, was a standing witness to the document exchange together with Ainol Azmil, Vice President of Corporate Strategy, PROTON.
Agreement with MARii opens Proton facilities to be included in NATC
One of the tenets spelled out in the agreement calls for PROTON to commit to a shared facility collaboration. To achieve this, PROTON will designate its Semi High-Speed Test Track in Shah Alam and R&D test lab in Tanjong Malim as part of the NATC. At the same time, MARii and PROTON will collaborate to build a new NATC facility with both parties contributing towards the construction costs.
As the name suggests, the NATC is an industry-wide facility and can be used by other OEMs, industry players, research institutes, and academia. Operational tasks for the facility will be led by MARii and supported by various stakeholders including PROTON.
Another target is for the nurturing of 200 PROTON R&D talents who will contribute to the development of future products and components, especially related to new energy vehicles (NEV). In the long term, this will assist in realising the goal of turning the Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV) into a regional centre for the development and production of NEV models and components.
“MARii is committed to supporting the national industrial agenda outlined in the National Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) and the National Automotive Policy 2020 (NAP 2020). This collaboration with PROTON strengthens Malaysia’s capabilities in next-generation mobility through shared testing facilities, structured R&D development, and expanded engineering capacity for new energy vehicles,” said Azrul Reza Aziz, CEO of MARii.
“PROTON’s agreement with MARii enhances the company’s commitment to the automotive industry in Malaysia while fulfilling our responsibility in realising the goals of the National Industrial Master Plan. There is a lot of potential for the NATC to contribute towards developing new technology and new models, and we hope it leads to the realisation of the country’s ambitions to be a regional automotive force,” said Dr. Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer, PROTON.
