I refer to the article Proton is not out of the woods despite its tie-up with Volkswagen AG .

What exactly is Proton trying to do when it does not even have the decency to satisfy its own customers. Is it trying to seek a backdoor entry into the global auto arena via a strategic alliance? Or maybe it is hoping to gain a toe hold into the domain of state-of-the-art technology.

I would seriously doubt if VW is prepared to permit Proton a peek into anything they have developed over most of the last century. If anything, I'd bet VW is aiming for Proton's Lotus' technology.

I got a raw deal on the purchase of my Proton Wira three years ago. Noises, faulty gauges, rust and excessive black oil consumption.

I know its the same old story for many others, but there's a lesson to be learnt here. Nations that went global and secured competitive advantage for their products did the one thing first - they satisfied their own local customers first.

If consumer equity is what the Proton brand is aiming for, then it has to get its act together and resist the tendency to believe that it is doing anough for its customers. Or think it can get away be adapting the maxim 'let the buyer beware'.

That posture does not work today. Perhaps a read of Michael Porter's Competitive advantage of nations will help Proton.

My next car will certainly be a non-national marque. As for me and my Wira, the misadventure continues.