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business
155,000-unit target
achievable: Proton
by Hemananthani Sivanandam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
SHAH ALAM: National carmaker
Proton is confident of achieving its target
of an annual sales of 155,000 units by
the end of March next year based on an
increase in acceptance and confidence
towards the brand in the market.
“We are confident we will achieve
the target as from April to September,
we have exceeded our target of 73,000
units,” said Proton Edar Sdn Bhd chief
executive officer Mohamad Shukor
Ibrahim.
The company’s fiscal year starts
from April.
“Based on feedback from our cus-
tomers as well as the increase in sales,
we found that there is more acceptance
towards our brand. Even after the fes-
tive season, the bookings are still com-
ing in strong,” he said after awarding
four lucky winners of the Proton Drive
for Cash contest yesterday.
“We believe car buyers have started
to notice how we have improved our
products and service quality, which are
evident in our top-selling models such
as Persona, Saga and Exora,” he said.
Mohamad Shukor also said the
company plans to have more attractive
campaigns and sales offers.
When asked if the company has
plans to collaborate with foreign part-
StanChart to disburse RM100m to help women entrepreneurs
KUALA LUMPUR: Standard Chartered
Bank Malaysia Bhd has come up with a
novel scheme to provide financing for
women entrepreneurs, aiming to disburse
RM100 million in the next 18 months to
support their business.
Called “Portfolio Guarantee Scheme”,
the new financing scheme would help
further boost development of small-and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), said its
country head of consumer banking Tiew
Siew Chuen.
The first in Malaysia, the scheme offers
swift financial access and opportunities to
boost business competitiveness, she said.
Tiew said the scheme also offers
ners, Mohamad Shukor said Proton is
looking for the right opportunity to do
so. He said there are a few potential
partners in mind but declined to name
them.
Earlier, Mohamad Shukor presented
mock cheques to the four winners of
the contest organised in conjunction
with the Proton Drive for Cash Cam-
paign.
The campaign, which ran from
June to August with cash prizes worth
RM500,000 to be won weekly and
monthly, received 7,810 entries.
The winners were selected based on
the creativeness of their slogans, and
the monthly winners were shortlisted
from a pool of best weekly submis-
sions.
The monthly winners won RM20,000
term financing facility, ranging between
RM100,000 and RM500,000, to provide
working capital and financing of SME
asset acquisitions.
“We recognise that women entrepre-
neurs are increasing in numbers and they
need more support to expand their busi-
ness. So we come in partnership with the
Credit Guarantee Corporation (CGC) to
offer such a scheme to help them expand
their business,” she said.
She said there were close to 83,000
woman-owned enterprises mainly in
services, manufacturing and agriculture
sectors and the number is expected to
increase.
SAIFUL HIZAM MANSOR/THESUN
each for their winning slogans. The
winners were Tan Kay Pau, 20, of Batu
Pahat (June); Loh Kam Fook, 47, of
Kuantan (July) and Lim Tzaw Feng,
23, of Johor Baru (August).
The grand prize winner, Anisah
Alias, 23, of Kota Baru walked away
with RM50,000 for her winning slogan,
“Inspired by strong nationalism, fired
by bold imagination, conceived with
great passion, they are born to lead the
nation”.
Mohamad Shukor said the cam-
paign was successful in meeting its
objectives as sales for June and July
had increased to 14,065 and 15,809
units respectively.
“This put us at the number one
position in Malaysian car sales for the
two months,” he said.
She said the newly launched scheme
would be very attractive as it would also
offer other benefits such as insurance
protection of up to RM100,000 for the
first 100 successful customers.
The CGC will act as the guarantor,
offering partial guarantee cover for
the loan, she said, adding the scheme
would be extended to businesswomen
who have been in business for a minimum
of five years and are intending to expand.
Standard Chartered has been lead-
ing the way for SMEs, providing working
capital financing for SMEs to expand amid
the challenging economic environment.
– Bernama
theSun | FRIDAY OCTOBER 23 2009
briefs
KFH to offer special Islamic
financing packages
KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia)
Bhd is offering special Islamic financing packages
during its carnival on Oct 24 and 25.
The event will be held from 10am to 6pm at selected
branches which includes Bayan Lepas in Penang, Taman
Molek in Johor Baru, Jalan Satok in Kuching, Pavilion in
Kuala Lumpur, Batu Unjur in Klang and Shah Alam.
In a statement yesterday, the bank said that con-
sumers are invited to learn more about its products,
including home refinancing products and murabahah
deposits.
“We would like to reward consumers with the best
rates during this two-day carnival,” said deputy chief
executive officer Ab Jabar Ab Rahman said.
He said the bank hoped that consumers will seize
the opportunity to get to know its products and serv-
ices while benefiting from the promotions. – Bernama
BNM launches 24-hour
Anisah
Alias with SMS service
a mock KUALA TERENGGANU: To make it easier for the
cheque for people to make enquiries on the financial services
the grand in the country, Bank Negara Malaysia yesterday
prize she introduced its 24-hour short-message-service
won. (SMS).
The deputy governor of the central bank, Datuk
Mohd Razif Abd Kadir, said any member of the
people wishing to make an enquiry, complain or
share a relevant information will be able to contact
BNM through sending a SMS to the number 15888.
– Bernama
‘M’sian companies should act
fast to secure Chinese market’
NANNING: Malaysian companies should capitalise
on benefits accruing from the China Asean Free Trade
Area (CAFTA) and act fast to secure markets in China
and other Asean countries.
Matrade’s deputy chief executive officer Dr Wong Lai
Sum said the “window of opportunity” in any Free Trade
Area (FTAs) was actually very narrow and competition
to enter these markets was usually very stiff.
Speaking to Malaysian reporters, covering the Sixth
China-Asean Expo here yesterday, he said when CAFTA
materialises in January 2010, 90% of the goods traded
within members countries would be at zero tariff.
“When everything is at zero tariff, other countries
would have to offer incentives to secure markets.
MU He said countries were continuously engaging in
to end FTAs with one another and if everybody offered incen-
tives then the window of opportunity would eventually
Reds title close down.
dreams “That is why when the window is opened, we must
pg 29 quickly move in to secure good partners, and with
mutual trust, they will not switch to trade with others,”
he added. – Bernama