I was reading a letter by Nakhoda on how APs are a form of modern-day slavery in Malaysia and could not agree more. It does feel that almost every working adult in the Klang Valley owns a car or wants to, and a sizable chunk of their payroll goes to 'those people' indirectly.

I now live and work in the US and recently purchased a brand new Honda Accord for US$21,000. I don't think converting this into ringgit is fair, because my annual salary here is slightly more than what I would be getting in Malaysia.

Even if you did convert, if would be about RM80,000 which is still cheap compared to what Malaysians pay for imported cars.

Now on to Proton. Back in 1998, on my first job in KL, I bought myself a 1.6 Proton Satria for about RM50,000. Naturally I was excited this being my first brand new car. Of course, I had heard stories about power windows dying etc, but I thought, hey, it can't be all true.

They have a customer service department, plus Proton has kept the same model for years with minor facelifts. All the rumors can't be true.

I was wrong. The first week I got my car, I hear a squeaking noise from the rear left wheel each time I went over a bump or drove on a bumpy road. I brought my car in to a Proton service center.

They mechanic raised my car and checked. I was there with him and he showed me the reason. The left suspension was missing a rubber washer! A RM1 rubber washer! It caused the joints to grind each time I drove on an uneven surface.

It's now 2005 and I still read articles about Proton quality control problems. Sad, sad, sad. Come on Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, come on Malaysia, give something back to your people, they work hard for a living and they deserve much more than this.