Proton sets up international arm to accelerate overseas sales

The Sun

28-07-2025

PETALING JAYA: Proton Holdings Bhd has established Proton International Corporation Sdn Bhd (PICSB), a wholly owned subsidiary formed to spearhead its overseas expansion efforts, with the objective to provide more flexibility when dealing with international markets.
The CEO of the new company is Edmund Lim Meng Thong, who was formerly the director of Proton's International Sales Division.
With export sales identified as a key driver of future sales growth, PICSB is tasked with enlarging Proton's global footprint, aiming to expand to the Global South while also continuing to oversee and develop sales and marketing efforts in existing overseas markets.
Proton models lead vehicle export volumes in Malaysia and the company's planning calls for a tenfold increase in export volumes over the next five years.
The attendees for the first board meeting of the international arm on July 14 included Proton CEO Dr Li Chunrong, Proton Covering deputy CEO Ainol Azmil and chief financial officer Chen Limin.
After starting exports to Bangladesh in 1986, just a year after its first car was produced, Proton quickly expanded its international reach, notably becoming the fastest-growing new car franchise in the UK by 1992, with annual sales reaching 15,000 units. By the early 2000s, Proton models were present in 64 countries globally, with the company then strategically shifting its focus to high-growth regional markets such as Asean, China, India, the Middle East and North Africa.
In 2025, Proton remains committed to expanding its global presence by introducing new models and technologies to international markets. As of this year, the company has exported 20,169 vehicles to 19 countries since 2020 making it the leading exporter of vehicles from Malaysia.
Proton's top three exported models since 2020 are the Proton Saga with 10,998 units, the Proton X50 with 3,986 units and the Proton X70 with 3,316 units. However, the Proton e.MAS 7 has quickly gained favour, rising to third place in export sales this year. Since its export began to Nepal and Trinidad and Tobago, a total of 233 units have been delivered. Since its launch in December 2024, the model has maintained strong sales with 916 units sold in May for domestic and international markets, bringing its total year-to-date sales to 3,632 units.
Beyond individual sales numbers, the international sales team has been busy since the beginning of 2025.
February saw the launch of the locally assembled Proton Saga in Egypt with local distributor Ezz Elarab Group while the Proton e.MAS 7 made its international debut in Nepal the following month followed by its introduction in Trinidad & Tobago in June. Singapore will be next on the list following a special sneak preview of the new C segment SUV at The Car Expo 2025 in May, which will mark the re-entry of Proton into the island nation after an absence of over a decade.
Proton International Corp aims for 6,000-unit sales in 2025 and targets to double the figure in 2026. Operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Proton, the international arm aims an export sale of 6,000 units this year, with a target to double that figure next year and exceed 10 times that volume by 2030.
Currently, Proton exports to 19 countries, namely Brunei, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Trinidad and Tobago, Singapore, Bermuda, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Iraq, Ghana, Angora, Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe.
Lim said, 'The official registration of Proton International Corporation Sdn Bhd marks a pivotal moment, sharpening our focus and increasing our agility to drive global expansion. We are setting ambitious targets for the next few years and to achieve this, we are actively hiring more talent for our regional sales and marketing teams. We are also excited about the progress made at the Automotive High Tech Valley, which will boost our production capability to meet growing international demand.'