"HAH, build a national car? Where do you even start," exclaims Halim Hassan, former manager of Design Management for Proton Holdings Bhd (Proton), his eyes under his dark-rimmed glasses flashing mock bewilderment.
Incredulously, he adds: "Nobody had taught us how to build a car before. We were never trained. So, yes, when the-then Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad decided to approve a national car project in 1982 in order to accelerate technology transfer, increase local content etc, I don't think I was the only one with my mouth hanging open!"
In fact, way back in 1979, Mahathir, who was then the Minister of Trade and Industry, had already conceived of the concept of a "Malaysian car". He was strongly in favour of encouraging the development of heavy industries in the country as part of a long term vision for self-sufficiency and progress.
With our first national car, the Proton Saga, celebrating a memorable milestone - its 35th anniversary this year — I found myself lured by the invitation to meet with this affable Pahang-born Halim, an industrial designer by qualification, who joined Proton in 1984.
Prior to that, he worked with SIRIM for two years as an Assistant Research Officer. What makes him interesting is the fact that he was among the first batch of R&D personnel, comprising two designers and two engineers to be sent off to MMC Okazaki Passenger Car Engineering Centre in Japan for training in 1985.
Mahathir had invited Mitsubishi Motors to participate in the National Car Project. His decision to collaborate with a Japanese car company was part of his Look East Policy. By January 1983, Mitsubishi successfully prepared two prototypes, codenamed LM41 and LM44. And four months later, on May 7, 1983, Perusahan Otomobil Nasional (Proton) was established. HICOM held a 70 per cent stake in Proton, while Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Corporation had 15 per cent each.
"The early years were tough," recalls the youthful 60-year-old, today meeting me at his cosy home that's filled with his paintings and collectibles, including replica car models, in Shah Alam. He and his former art teacher-wife, Siti Sabariah, who alternates between this "city" abode and their more tranquil haven in Janda Baik, Pahang, had popped back just for our interview session.
"Proton Saga celebrating its 35th anniversary is definitely a big milestone for me because we started off basically from zero," adds Halim, continuing: "When I first went for my On Job Training (OJT) in MMC Okazaki, I was barely 25. And just married."
It was his former lecturer that got him his foot in the door with Proton. Recalls the father-of-three: "My design lecturer had been 'borrowed' by Proton to handle the styling for the first Saga. He knew me and my work so he asked me to join him there."
"There" happened to be just a modest office located in a small bungalow in Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur. "It was just a room because the factory in Shah Alam wasn't ready yet," recollects Halim, adding: "They gave the six of us a small room. There were two Japanese and four Malaysians. That's basically the birth of Proton's R&D department!"
LOVE OF CARS
The bespectacled engineer, who was driving a Daihatsu Charade during his time with SIRIM, remembers being extremely excited by the invitation because he'd always loved cars — even before Proton was born. Chuckling, he confides: "Actually, I'd been driving since I was 13! A manual Austin A40, my grandfather's car. And of course, with no license. But it was just around our area!"
His father, recalls Halim fondly, knew of his interest for cars so he used to take his son to the football field near their family home in Kampung Benus, Bentong, so he could teach the boy how to drive. "I learnt all about gear, clutch, accelerator… And then he'd tell me to drive while he sat under a tree and watched me. It was also around this time that I started to really be interested in cars, car styling and drawing cars."
It wasn't so much the element of speed that piqued the young Halim's interest however; it was, surprisingly, design and styling. But then again, perhaps it's not so surprising when I learn that this former Science-stream student does have a passion for drawing growing up. "When I was very small, I was fascinated by the fact that some cars would just go out of fashion very fast, whilst others would just be so timeless," he muses, contemplatively.
Adding, he elaborates: "At the time, I didn't know much about styling or proportion, but I noticed that cars like Mercedes Benz would last a long time in terms of styling. They were timeless, classic and very elegant. Some cars, like the Morris Minor, Fiat, and some other British cars would go out of fashion very fast. I was curious why this was so."
During his childhood days, he recalls with delightful clarity that his father drove a Datsun Bluebird. His teacher meanwhile, drove a Mini 1275 GT. Beaming widely, he shares: "I remember also the Mazda 808, which I thought was interesting. It looked a lot like the American Ford Mustang. One of the headmasters at the nearby school was driving a Cabriolet Sunbeam Alpine, a really nice car. It was the only two-door coupe in town. That was a big thing then. And I also remember a banker we knew who drove an orange Alfa Romeo Montreal. That was an interesting car!"
Aware of the slight diversion in our chat, Halim chuckles before exclaiming: "Oh, I digress. Now back to Proton!" We both laugh before he good-naturedly continues: "Come to think of it, we had nothing when I started with Proton. Of course, there were some Japanese engineers who came and taught car basics before we went for our first real training in Japan in 1985. They sent us two technical engineers who taught us the basics of car development."
Lobbing a mischievous glance at his wife who's seated on the sofa opposite us, he confides: "It was a challenging period, on the personal front as well, because I'd just got married. I don't think I'd be able to marry had I not married before I started with Proton!"
Chuckling at my confusion, he elaborates: "We worked very long hours because we knew nothing about car development. It was 8am to 10pm every day. We had to set up everything. There were no SOPs, no procedures, no format… We were basically walking blind. Thankfully, my wife was able to put up with it!"
LESSONS FROM THE JAPANESE
Recalling the collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors, Halim admits that it was an interesting experience. "Being a Japanese car company, I noted that their approach to car design and styling was very different."
Elaborating, he explains: "In a nutshell, their designs were more 'fashionable', whereas the European cars tended to be more elegant and timeless. What made them timeless is their proportion — how they shaped the cars and the simple lines. The Japanese cars meanwhile, tended to be more fanciful, very trendy."
Is that a bad thing, I blurt out. Halim smiles before replying: "But trendy and fashionable tend to go out of fashion. You see, the Japanese philosophy was different. They wanted to sell cars fast. So every five years you'd change. Their cars were designed to be obsolete".
The first generation Proton Saga was based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer Fiore. When it was launched in July 1985, it was produced in both 4-door saloon and 5-door hatchback styles. A quick trivia: The first generation Saga is the longest produced Proton model, having been in production for over 22 consecutive years, until it was subsequently succeeded by the second generation Saga in early 2008.
"Because we already had a base model, the Mitsubishi Lancer, all we had to do was change the front and rear parts of the car, adding the badges and some other details. I was instructed to do the cosmetic changes."
Pulling out a photo album from the mountain stacked on the dining table, he excitedly leafs through the pages before stopping at an image: "See this photo? This was the first cosmetic change for the Saga. Cosmetic means minor changes for the car — the grill, the wedges, some fabric job, colours and so on."
So that was his mission — to learn about that aspect of styling — when Proton flew him to Japan. "When I first joined Proton, nobody in Malaysia knew about how to build a car," he remembers, adding: "Of course, when I was with SIRIM, I did manage to go on a factory visit to Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) in Shah Alam. At that time, Toyota was assembling the Toyota KE40 (Toyota Corolla). That was the only exposure I had with cars."
KEEPING IT IN STYLE
It all started with the styling department, explains Halim. "We did the car from A-Z, in terms of the styling. The engineering was done by Mitsubishi so there wasn't a need for engineers from our side — yet. We started off with the first generation Saga Cosmetic Change Programme, the first ever styling programme done in-house."
When the Shah Alam factory was completed in 1985, the team moved there. "Although the factory was ready, it was still lacking a lot of things… no gates, no landscaping. And very little manpower. There was probably 10 of us — six in design, plus a clerk, a stenographer, a typist and one engineer. The rest were engineers from Mitsubishi Motors that supported us during the launching."
In 1989, Halim was sent again to MMC Okazaki — this time for the Proton Wira interior design development work with another designer from Proton. This work was completed in April 1990 and the Wira was launched successfully in 1993, continuing with its production until 2007.
"We actually worked with a professor from UiTM, learning about how designers perceive styling," shares Halim. "Of course, we're not like fashion designers where you get a free hand to unleash your creativity. We had a base to work from and keep to."
Taking a pen and a notebook to clarify further, Halim begins to sketch the frame of a car. "See, we had the Mitsubishi platform already so all we had to do was build everything around it. In a sense, you're limited to that platform. You can't make the car smaller or bigger. Designers can only work around the wheel base. You can't go crazy except maybe in the detailing."
Halim was responsible for the car's interior — specifically, the colours, finishing, and fabric. "It was tiring because there were so many details to think about," he recalls, adding: "Essentially, everything that's designed for the interior is safety-related. There mustn't be any sharp edges; you can't have anything very shiny because you might blind the driver; you can't have fabric that's too fancy or dazzling or it will confuse the driver."
Reeling off breathlessly, he continues: "You need to have a very matte surface so texture is very important. You can't have very bright colours because Malaysia has very strong sunlight and it will reflect into your eyes. So the interior must be dark, calming and at the same time, look good and not cheap."
Of course, it's all cost-based so to have everything come together well, the car must be safe, look beautiful, and be cost-effective, adds Halim. "To meet all the requirements wasn't easy. You have to please the customer, the marketing and costing people, engineers, and many parties."
It was all very technical, he continues. "You have to know the manufacturing process, the materials, rules and regulations, costing etc. Most of the time I was out with the vendors, flying all over Taiwan, Korea, Czech Republic, visiting factories to see them make the moulds and the finishing. Most of the time, the factories were cold and dark because I'd go in winter. It was tough."
The development process was very critical and detailed, explains Halim. His touch is everywhere — from the switches to the panel; the steering wheel to the knobs; the colour of trims, the metre combi, the lighting on the radio, fabric on the roof, floor carpets, and the leather… literally any part of the car which has texture.
Smiling wistfully, Halim says: "People only see the finished product but they don't know about all these other things that need to come together. It's all accounted for and nothing is by chance.
A NEW SHIFT
Suffice it to say, as the years went by, the team became more experienced and there were more collaborations. Remembers Halim: "The direction by the government was for us to work with other parties. That started the shift. The early days involved just mass production and minor changes. At that time, Tun M wasn't too happy because the technology transfer was slow. He wanted things to move faster and for there to be bigger changes."
And that's why, adds Halim, Lotus was brought in. And talks ensued with other design houses and parties too. "Americans, Italians and so on," shares the car enthusiast. "Tun M just wanted us to build our own car. Lotus helped us to build the Waja, which was in 2000. That's the real start of a Malaysian-produced car, starting from ground up."
The team took in all the comments they received — from those touching on quality to parts issues and other problems that arose. "We needed to learn from somewhere because Mitsubishi didn't teach us everything," exclaims Halim, adding: "You had to fill in the blanks. Like for example, the styling. The Japanese taught us only the 'skeleton' and you pandai pandai lah (learn by yourself)!"
Of course, there were a lot of challenges, he concedes, although they weren't so much on the design side of operations. By that time, says Halim, pride lacing his voice, the designers were, in terms of their work, quite matured.
"We weren't too far off from others around the world," he recalls, adding: "We went to motor shows etc. But on the engineering side, it was a challenge because nobody could build a good car in less than 10 days. The challenge abound for the engineers more than the stylists."
Mischievously, I ask Halim, who has also participated in the development of other Proton models such as the Satria, Putra, Tiara, Perdana, Waja, as well as various 'Special Edition' models, that with so much headaches to contend with, what was it that he enjoyed most?
He pauses to contemplate the question. Finally, Halim, who retired in October last year after 35 years of service, replies: "It's just my love for the job. I really wanted Malaysia to have her own car. I shared Tun's vision. Proton was established just to spearhead the heavy industries. It's not the product per se, but you're building the engineering environment for the whole of Malaysia."
Voice low, he continues: "Proton was just a catalyst. So when it (Proton) started building cars, you had the birth of so many parties to support the industry. People from automotive engineers, to manufacturing, vendors etc. So you build up the environment for Malaysia."
A faraway look in his kindly eyes, Halim adds solemnly: "I remember back then when Tun said we'd build our own car. I was also like, "Impossible. Malaysia can't build her own car; we buy from others. We don't have the technology, the people, the expertise, and the support. I had so many excuses in my head."
But it wasn't long before a sense of patriotism enveloped him. And Halim remembers vowing to silence the doubts. Not only his own but those of others too. "I thought, why CAN'T we build our own car and make it just as nice as those on the road. That was what drove me. I wanted to contribute something for the nation — even if it were only something small."
Wistfully, he continues: "At least I can say I was there, I've done my part for nation-building. Not too many people knew about what I did because everything was confidential. Not even my wife knew what I was doing. All she knew was that I'd come back late and then fly off again the following week."
His wife nods, her smile gentle. Halim, who used to drive the Saga Magma 1.5, continues: "I couldn't tell her what project I was working on — until the launch of the car. I couldn't tell my friends or my relatives. Everything was top secret. That's the one thing about being in the R&D department!"
And as for the Saga today, going forward?
Again, Halim pauses to reflect before conceding that it'd be a challenge to maintain the legacy. "You can probably still keep the name but to produce a Saga which meets the people's perception, changing wants and needs… different generation… Well, that's going to be tough."
Sheepishly, he says: "My daughter has a Honda. Different generations have different needs. They want gadgets inside the car. Proton is a small manufacturer. Those technology and stuff you see, all those latest things, they're expensive things. You need the economy of scale to have them. If you don't have a partner, your cars will be very expensive to sell."
But now that Geely — Zhejiang Geely Holding Group purchased 49.9 per cent of Proton Cars — is on board, Halim's slightly more optimistic. "Hopefully we can come up with a future Saga which meets all these requirements — not only for the Malaysian market but also the global market!