Former premier and Proton adviser Dr Mahathir Mohamad has returned seven vehicles to the national carmaker amid strained relations with Proton management, a report said today.

The Star newspaper cited unnamed sources as saying that the vehicles, which were to be used by Mahathir and his staff, were recently returned to Proton headquarters.

The vehicles included a Volkswagen Tuareg four-wheel drive and a Phaeton, which Mahathir often used for travelling, it said.

"The others were Proton Waja cars, including in Langkawi, which he used whenever he visited the island to look at development projects there," the source said.

Proton management officials had tried to persuade Mahathir, who helped to found the company in the 1980s, to continue using the vehicles but he was adamant on returning them, the report said.

The sources said Mahathir had started using his personal cars to travel to work, adding that he was apparently "deeply hurt" by developments in Proton.

These included the controversial departure of Proton chief executive officer Mahaleel Ariff, a Mahathir protege, and a row over approved permits for foreign cars.

Poor treatment

"You must understand that Dr Mahathir was the man who mooted the national car project and for him to return the Proton cars is certainly something not to be taken lightly," the source said.

Proton in July replaced Mahaleel, ending weeks of speculation over his sacking after he criticised the government's policy on the auto sector.

Mahaleel said Proton had been "poorly treated" by the government, and complained that a flood of under-valued car imports were causing declining Proton sales.

The national carmarker used to sell six out of every 10 new cars in Malaysia but growing foreign competition is eating into its market share, which fell to 44 percent in 2004 from 48 percent in 2003.