DRB-Hicom Bhd will announce a new management team for Proton Holdings Bhd, the national car maker, in two weeks’ time, group managing director Mohd Khamil Jamil said today.

“There will be improvements to the management. There can be new faces, I will not discount the fact, and there can be old faces.

“There is always a blend of old and new (faces) for continuity as well as for providing new ideas and talents,” he told reporters after DRB-Hicom’s extraordinary general meeting to get shareholders’ approval for its 42.74 percent stake purchase in Proton Holdings Bhd.

Mohd Khamil said DRB-Hicom has several processes such as a nomination committee and a remuneration committee for these appointments.

“At the moment, I’ve not put forward to the DRB-Hicom board of directors the candidates who will or may helm or assist in helming Proton. I was waiting for this EGM to be completed.

“I was not sure whether the shareholders will approve the resolution (for  Proton stake acquisition). Now that the shareholders have agreed with our plan and they have approved Proton's acquisition, I’ve got an idea of who to go there.

“I’ve to look into the expertise, into the talent and into the areas in which an individual or a group of individuals who are going to go there.

“I’ve yet to go through my nomination committee, remuneration committee and subsequently to the board for approval.

“I cannot put the ‘cart before the horse’, if I do that, my chairperson will not be too happy with it. I’ve to tell him first before I tell the public,” Mohd Khamil said.  

DRB-Hicom chairperson Syed Mohamad Syed Murtaza said the company was in the midst of looking who should be appointed to manage Proton Holdings.

“We’ll make the announcement after a serious consideration. We’ll come back at the right time,” he said.

Syed Mohamad said the company obtained the approval today for the acquisition of 42.74 percent stake in Proton from Khazanah Nasional Bhd, the government's investment arm, with 99 percent shareholers voting for the resolution.

Syed Mohamad, who represented a proxy, voted against the resolution.

“There was one proxy that was sent to me. The proxy, representing 1,000 shares, voted against the resolution,” he added.

- Bernama