Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has no issue if the third national car project were to be operated by a private company from China.

"The third national car is a private-sector effort. How they will do it, is left to them.

"They can be from Japan, China or Korea. We have no conditions for them," he said at the sidelines of the World Chinese Economic Forum today.

The 93-year-old who spoke of his favourite Look East policy, which included China, was asked if he would welcome a Chinese firm developing the third national car.

Previously, Mahathir had repeatedly claimed his brainchild Proton, which sold a 49.9 percent stake to China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group could no longer be considered a national car.

His ambition to have a third national car, after Proton and Perodua, however, was not received well in the country.

Putrajaya is set to launch a new national car in 2020.

The Entrepreneur Development Ministry is reportedly reviewing nearly 50 proposals from local players keen to be part of the third national car’s Vendor Development Programme.

Secretary-general Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi said the ministry would be meeting with the third national car policy coordinator, the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology, on the proposals.