PROTON Continues to Grow Its Presence in Sabah with 3rd New 3S Outlet
Kota Kinabalu, 20 October 2019 – PROTON is continuing to grow its presence in East Malaysia as it has just recently opened a 3rd new dealership in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. The Shirba Auto World Sdn Bhd PROTON 3S outlet is located at the heart of Tebobon, near that state capital of Kota Kinabalu.
This 3S outlet has a built-up area of 2,259 square meters, which consists of 12 service bays, 6 service hoists, a comfortable customer lounge with free Wi-Fi as well as ample car park bays for customers’ convenience.
As a new PROTON investor, Ridzuan Datuk Hj Lassim, Director of Shirba Auto World Sdn Bhd, sees a lot of opportunities in the PROTON brand. According to him, “The future business outlook for PROTON is promising, especially with its range of new car models. It also gives a lot of confidence to the public that PROTON is currently managed by a pool of talent with global experience. It is a company which is exciting, international, forward looking and ready to take on the market”.
“We are truly honoured and grateful to PROTON Edar Sdn Bhd for entrusting us to carry out the responsibility in implementing and managing this 3S centre. We believe that with this effort, we are able to reduce the unemployment issue around this area and also able to contribute to stimulating the local and national economy while providing healthy competition in the local car industry,” he added.
Shirba Auto World Sdn Bhd targets to sell 840 units by the end of next year. The company also hopes to consistently provide a quality service from its trained team and will continue to grow as dealer of PROTON.
The outlet opening event was jointly officiated by YB Datuk Darell Leiking, Minister of International Trade and Industry and Yusri Bin Yusuf, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, PROTON. Also present at the launch were YB Datuk Haji Aidi Mokhtar, Sabah State Minister of Law and Native Affairs, Dato’ Madani Sahari, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Automotive, Robotics & IoT Institute (MARii), and Dato’ Haji Zainuddin Abd Rahman, President of the Malaysian Association of Malay Vehicle Importers and Traders (PEKEMA).
PROTON’s ongoing effort to encourage upgrading of its existing outlets and to attract new dealerships has been met with success. The company so far has 104 – 3S & 4S outlets nationwide, making it the car company with the most number of outlets to offer sales and services all under one roof. The company is targetting to have 120 outlets by the end of 2019.
“The initiatives that are put in place have resulted in us gaining confidence from investors and the market. Many have decided to invest in a dealership because they have witnessed the positive developments at PROTON. They see PROTON as a solid brand and are willing to partner with us. Brand perception has also shifted and this is evident from our increasing sales,” said Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of PROTON.
To-date, overall sales in East Malaysia has grown by 31%. In Sabah, the sales increase is 39%, compared to the same period last year. The Saga remains a popular choice for this state.
