PARLIAMENT The government is confident that Proton will be able to compete with imported cars as it is on par with international marques like BMW, Volvo, Toyota and Honda.

The International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) based this on the five-star international rating the national car manufacturer received from Asutralasian Car Assesment Program (ANCAP) and ASEAN NCAP for its safety features.

"The production of Proton's newest models display advanced technology, quality and performance and is on par with imported cars.

"This recognition enables Proton models to be equivalent with renowned manufacturers like BMW, Volvo, Toyota and Honda," said minister Mustapa Mohamed in a written reply to V Sivakumar (DAP-Batu Gajah).

Sivakumar had asked the ministry if Proton is able to compete with imported or foreign-made cars and would the amount of cars produced be sufficient for the local market.

Mustapa said among the features in Proton cars which enabled it to obtain the five-star rating include its Lotus ride and handling feature as well as advanced safety technologies like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Traction Control System (TCS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

He added that additional features like airbags up to six units per car, safety belts and ISOFIX mounting for child seats, whiplash protection headrests and other features "that are usually found in premium imported cars" also add to Proton's international competence.

However, instead of answering if the total number of cars produced is sufficient for the national market, Mustafa replied that the waiting time for most models is less than a month.

"The waiting time after ordering for models like Saga, Iriz, Persona, Suprima S is around a month, wherelse for Preve is around one to one and a half month only. However, the waiting time depends on the customer’s loan approval," he added.

Last week, Proton announced its reduction of up to RM1,475, or 3.25 percent, per unit on selected variants.