It’s the curtain call for Proton’s Shah Alam manufacturing plant which, as previously reported, churned out its last Saga on September 30. With that comes the end of operations for the facility that was the birthplace of the national carmaker, having produced much of its vehicles over the last 40 years.
The closure of the 83.48-hectare factory completes the transition of Saga production to Tanjong Malim, where it joins the Persona, the S70 and the X-series of SUVs, as well as the new EV plant; it’s perhaps no coincidence that the Iriz hatchback was also discontinued last month. The last 1,400 manufacturing staff at Shah Alam have been relocated to the Perak town to support the move.
This also means that Proton has likely begun producing the new MC3 version of the Saga in the run up to the car’s launch, expected by the end of the year. Based on an updated AMA platform for entry-level vehicles, it’s set to feature a heavy design refresh, a new interior, driver assistance technologies (finally) and a naturally-aspirated version of the facelifted X50‘s BHE15 1.5 litre four-cylinder engine.
Proton has telegraphed the move for a while now – it was revealed as part of the strategic partnership with Geely back in 2017 and was slated to be completed by 2022, although it is understood that the timeline was shifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the company broke ground on two new stamping lines to support the shift of Saga production from Shah Alam.
The shuttering of the original factory, which was built with an investment of RM370 million, has also resulted in the closure of the included facilities, such as Malaysia’s first automotive R&D centre, its test facilities and the semi-high-speed oval that has been the site of many media preview events over the years. So long and farewell, Proton Shah Alam, and thanks for the memories.
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