Chery Auto may partner with Malaysia's Proton

Malaysia's national carmaker Proton Holdings BHD is open to any form of partnership, including with China's Chery Automobile Co Ltd, as long as it benefits both itself and the country. However, second national carmaker Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua SDN BHD (Perodua) said it currently did not need any other partnership.

Proton's managing director Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamad Tahir said it was interested in strategic partnerships regardless the automobile companies.

"If there is interest from any company, including Chery, they have to approach us first. Then we will make our own fair assessment, whether it is good for our strategy and more importantly, what is good for the country," he said on the sidelines of the 2nd Annual Automotive Conference in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.