Proton Chief is 'Automotive Man of the Year 2008'

Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin receiving the Award from Tan Sri Mohamed Nor Yackob, Second Finance Minister of Malaysia.


Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin bin Syed Mohamed Tahir, the Managing Director of Proton Holdings Berhad, was awarded the “Automotive Man of the Year 2008” Award in recognition of his leadership at the helm of Proton and turning around an ailing domestic giant into a genuine global challenger.

To achieve this, his focus switched back to core competencies and profitability. This culminated in the long term strategy which is now known as the Asian Multi-Local OEM (AMLO) strategy. The AMLO strategy is Proton’s export thrust into ASEAN, China, India, Middle East – North Africa in collaboration with local partners.

Datuk Zainal’s philosophy of “the right car at the right price at the right time and market” saw the rebirth of the new Proton Saga which is today a top seller. The Proton Persona, another successful model, also reflects Proton’s revival, and the MPV that will be launched next year promises to be Malaysia’s preferred vehicle.

The winners for the New Straits Times/Maybank COTY 2008 Awards were announced at a gala dinner in Kuala Lumpur hosted by the New Straits Times and title sponsor Maybank Berhad.

The premier Car of the Year Awards was first organised in 2002 by Cars, Bikes & Trucks, the motoring section of the New Straits Times, to recognise the efforts of all car manufacturers as well as serve as a guide to car buyers.

The event is endorsed by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

NST-Maybank Cars, Bikes & Trucks (CBT) Car of the Year 2008: Mazda6 2.5L

The Mazda brand in Malaysia has undergone a revival yesterday, after clinching the coveted "Overall Car of the Year 2008" from New Straits Times' Cars, Bikes & Trucks.

The Mazda6 2.5 also came out tops in the Executive Car (below RM200,000) category. Bermaz Motors (the local Mazda distributor) has also added another feather to its cap when its roomy seven- seater Mazda CX9 won the “Best in Class” in the Premium SUV category.

This year's COTY judging panel is made up of 12 individuals, comprising senior Malaysian motoring journalists and professionals from the academic and medical fraternities, concurred unanimously to award the top accolade of “Overall Car of the Year” Award to the Mazda6 2.5 for maintaining a next to perfect balance between performance and comfort, two factors demanded by the Executive Car buyer.

Its build quality, power, interior comfort, handling, dashing good looks and attractive pricing were key criteria that earned the Mazda6 2.5 the top honours.

Being built on its own chassis has allowed the Mazda6 2.5 a sense of exclusivity that stays true to Mazda’s “Zoom Zoom” tagline. The Mazda6 2.5 proves to be a smart purchase as it offers CBU quality at CKD price. This is a rarity, but Bermaz Motor Sdn Bhd has managed to do it.

The winners for the New Straits Times/Maybank 2008 Awards were announced at a gala dinner last night in Kuala Lumpur hosted by the New Straits Times and title sponsor Maybank Berhad.

The guest-of-honour for the night was Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Second Finance Minister.
Also gracing the ocassion was Datuk Aishah Ahmad, President of the Automotive Association of Malaysia (AAM).

More details on the rest of the COTY 2008 winners later or go here: CBT COTY 2008