Product showcase marks first time PROTON’s newest models are displayed in public prior to their launch without camouflage
KUALA LUMPUR, 28 October 2025 – The Prime Minister of Malaysia The Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim and the Premier of the People’s Republic of China H.E. Li Qiang today viewed the all-new Proton Saga and Proton e.MAS 5 at the first public showcase held in conjunction with the ASEAN Summit held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Also present at the showcase were the Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry, YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, YB Dato’ Seri Utama Mohamad Hasan, Chairman of Geely Holding Group, Eric Li Shufu, and Chairman of PROTON, Tan Sri Syed Faisal Albar.
The occasion marked a historic moment in Malaysia and China’s long-standing partnership, symbolising both nations’ shared commitment to strengthening cooperation in industrial development, technological innovation, and advancement. The presence of both leaders highlighted the growing importance of the automotive sector as a key area of collaboration in supporting Malaysia’s national transformation agenda as well as China’s continued engagement in regional industrial growth.
Strengthening industrial collaboration through partnership
Today’s public showcase of two of PROTON’s upcoming models reflects the success of the partnership between DRB-HICOM Berhad and Geely Holding Group in driving PROTON’s transformation to become a modern and competitive automotive company.
Through this partnership, PROTON continues to combine Malaysian engineering capabilities with Geely’s technological expertise to advance the country’s automotive ecosystem, supporting the development of new skills, local innovation, and sustainable growth.
All-new Saga and Proton e.MAS 5 symbolise Malaysian capability and innovation
The all-new Proton Saga, which debuts PROTON’s Advanced Modular Architecture platform, is the first model to be fully designed, engineered, and validated by Malaysian talent with technical collaboration from Geely. The model carries PROTON’s full intellectual property rights (IPR), representing a major milestone in national capability and proving that home-grown Malaysian talent can design and develop a complete vehicle that meets international standards.
Developed with Geely’s design and technology, the Proton e.MAS 5 is Malaysia’s first affordable electric vehicle and the second model in the e.MAS line, following the successful introduction of the e.MAS 7 last year. This model reflects the nation’s readiness to embrace sustainable mobility in support of the Government’s National Energy Transition Roadmap.
Driving Malaysia’s Regional Ambition Through AHTV
The display of two new vehicles developed by PROTON and Geely at the ASEAN Summit reinforces the strong bilateral relationship between Malaysia and China and reflects the two nations’ shared vision of promoting industrial cooperation, technology transfer, and human capital development to support sustainable economic growth.
This milestone also aligns with Malaysia’s aspiration to become a regional automotive hub with the establishment of the Automotive Hi-Tech Valley (AHTV) in Tanjong Malim, Perak. The initiative will serve as a catalyst for investment, advanced manufacturing, and innovation, further strengthening Malaysia’s position as a leader in the regional automotive landscape.
