While many including petrol-chemical companies, banks and finance companies, car manufacturers and toll operators would cheer at the news of Auto sales hit all time high; Proton share drops . I, for one, would choose not to give our country or ourselves a pat in the back over it.

At a time of rising fuel costs, depleting fuel resources and growing environmental concerns, is a rapidly growing car ownership figure really something for any country to be proud of? Are we so naive as to simply shove all these issues aside in our drive to make Malaysia the top passenger car market in the Asean region?

Hypothetically, and if indeed Malaysia is a number one market, what are the benefits to us? By us, I am obviously not referring to the government which stands to earn even more revenue through various taxes and duties. Neither am I referring to those car manufacturers, finance companies, highway operators, road builders etc.

I am referring to us, the citizens. We should ask ourselves if there is a better and more efficient alternative. We should look to a truly-efficient public transportation network that caters for a rapidly growing and mobile population.

As it stands, the current road infrastructure is already struggling under its load and I fail to see how the roads can handle with even more vehicles.

From the money viewpoint (I am not an economist), I think there are serious weaknesses in the whole system when car prices are artificially inflated and car loan periods are extended way past the real depreciation time brackets of the vehicle itself.

If there is anyone who still thinks that we need more vehicles on the road? Perhaps daily peak-hour road users along major roads in the country would beg to differ.