Tengku Mahaleel to make shock return to Proton

NEW ERA: Ex-CEO may be back as chairman and source says that ‘more or less, it’s almost a done deal’

TENGKU Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff is poised to make a shockreturn to Proton Holdings Bhd.

The blunt-speaking former Proton chief executive officer (CEO) will lead the national carmaker into a new era, probably as chairman of the company, in the coming months, replacing Datuk Seri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, sources said.

“More or less, it’s almost a done deal,” said a source close to DRB-HICOM Bhd, the new controlling owner of Proton under a RM1.29 billion deal to buy Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s entire 42.7
per cent stake announced last month.

Tengku Mahaleel left Proton in September 2005 under controversial circumstances. The official statement then said that his contract was not renewed by the board of directors led

by then chairman Datuk Mohammed Azlan Hashim.

Tengku Mahaleel had been with the company for more than nine years.

Many believed that his “removal” was due to his criticisms and opinions on the national automotive industry, including the issue relating to approved permit (AP) to import vehicles,in an interview with a Chinese daily.

In the interview, he reportedly said that Malaysia was moving towards an automobile assembly direction, which differs entirely
from automotive manufacturing.

“Automobile assembly means you just need screw drivers, you don’t need die and mould and engine factory.

“If the government only needs the automobile assemblers, we can then grab a Mitsubishi car, fix it with a Proton emblem and say: ‘Nah, this a Proton car’,” he was quoted as saying.

Tengku Mahaleel joined the Proton group as vice chairman of strategy and operations in 1996.

In April 1997, he was appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd and subsequently as group
CEO of Proton.

Prior to joining Proton, he was Mofaz group of companies vice-president, Nestle Malaysia’s independent non-executive director and New Toyo Group managing director.

Before 1995, Tengku Mahaleel worked with Shell Malaysia for nearly 20 years.

His last post with the oil and gas company was as marketing manager of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd.