A lot of factors such as resources and risks need to be considered before venturing into the third national car project, say experts.

Permodalan Nasional Bhd Group chairperson Zeti Akhtar Aziz said Malaysia must consider if it has any comparative advantage for such a project due to limited resources.

“We should channel it (the resources) to areas where we have a comparative advantage and a leading edge.

“Can we do it? If we can’t, we better channel the resources to other areas,” she said during the “The Economic Agenda: Mahathir-nomics 2.0 and Vision 2020 Revisited” session at the Youth Economic Forum 2018 in Kuala Lumpur today.

Zeti said coming from her background as a regulator, the nation must look at risks to measure the possible outcomes or setbacks of such a project.

“In this highly dynamic environment, it is no longer (about) the first-order risk, you have to look at the second- and third-order risks.  

“Therefore, (this way) you know what you are venturing into and whether you have the resilience to absorb any setbacks,” she added.

Meanwhile, Khazanah Nasional Bhd director Dr Sukhdave Singh said the government must consider if the third national car project would be commercially viable before embarking on it.

“If the project is commercially viable and private money goes into it, what is the problem right? My issue is later when they come to the government and ask for a bailout.

“For me, a commercially-driven project is the only way (to proceed),” he added.

- Bernama