Perodua hopes the government will not announce much policy changes in order for the group to prepare for industry liberalisation and to enhance exports.

"We know liberalisation will come and the advantages we are enjoying now will taper, therefore, we are asking the government not to change policies too much in order for us to have adequate time to prepare," said managing director Aminar Rashid Salleh.

Speaking to reporters after a media pre-view of the ‘Perodua Bezza’ prototype model at the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2010 today, he said the domestic market would reach saturation point when output reached between 700,000 and 800,000 units.

Therefore, the group remained focused on boosting exports up to 10 percent, from between two and three percent at present, under its five-year plan based on the National Automotive Policy, he said.

"We will present the five-year plan, which commenced this year, to the government anytime. It is vital for us to enhance our presence in overseas markets going forward," Aminar said.

He also said the group was eyeing the Thai and South African markets and hoped to see development in the first-quarter of next year.

Its current export markets were United Kingdom (40 percent), Singapore, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Nepal and Fiji.

He added Perodua was also benchmarking against its technical partner, Daihatsu Motor Company, to identify shortcomings within the group and improve further to stay competitive in the market.

On the much talked about merger with Proton Holdings Bhd, Aminar said "we have given our inputs and the government has to digest them and come up with a conclusion".

Concept car

On ‘Perodua Bezza’, Aminar said the group hoped to see the model in the market between 2015 and 2017.

“Bezza is a styling concept, futuristic yet practical. We have not gone into details on the technology, engineering and other specifications yet.

"This is the first stage and work is still on-going," he explained.

Perodua also showcased its future green engine, the Precious Metal-free Liquid-feed Fuel Cell, its green engine roadmap, the first of its kind in Malaysia.

In order to provide affordable compact cars for the next generation, Perodua was pursuing the ultimate in conventional technologies rather than hybrid technologies that tend to be too expensive for the average motorists, Aminar elaborated.

- Bernama