Proton to get foreign CEO?

Proton may go for foreign CEO

Tales from the Kopitiam.

Ah Beng: Foreigner to head Proton management? Oh, NO! Please don't!

Ali: Why?

Ah Beng: Didn't we hear what Hishamuddin and Khairy, both UMNO Youth leaders had been shouting about the last few days? They said: "Malays had been sidelined and they are competing in an uneven field." If Proton takes a foreigner, then the Malays will be by-passed, and the NEP will again be the subject matter for the next UMNO General Assemby. Then they will blame the non-Malays again.

Samy: But we need someone who can turnaround and make Proton more competitive in the automobil market.

Ali: Ya lah. Even the Japanese were prepared to accept Carlos Ghosn as the CEO of Nissan.

Ah Beng: Ai yo! You fella don't know what you are talking about. In Malaysia, we are different. We have NEP and UMNO wants 30% of everything. Now they have 18%, so short of 12%. Mahaleel is Malay, and if you take one Malay away, you must replace it with another Malay. You put a Mat Salleh to replace, then we got problem. The 18% will be reduced to 17%.

Samy: Ai ya. One person don't comprise 1%.

Ah Beng: You fella tak da otak. The new CEO cannot perform effectively if he doesn't bring along with him some gung-ho and experts with him. In the turnaround management, you need to have a team of dedicated and competent team. Nobody can succeed alone. For any CEO to succeed he must have a core team. If the foreigner comes into Proton alone, you don't expect him to turnaround a company using the same people.

Ali: Why not?

Ah Beng: Einstein said: "Problems created at a level of thinking cannot be solved by the same level of thinking." The problem in Proton cannot be attributed to Mahaleel alone. It is team performance and if the team is mediocre, you cannot expect to have high performance and excellent results. So, any successful CEO must have a team of experts and specialist who share his vision, core philosophy and values.

Ali: But the CEO can use the current management team and make them high performers.

Ah Beng: You are betul betul kalumguni. If the new CEO is appointed, he will not be given 8 years to produce effective result. He may be given 3 years and high performance results must become visible. If not, he will be sacked. In such a short period, you have no time to mould people. You need fast-food, ready-made experts and you need the right mentality and attitude and a right culture. You can't changed the current mediocre team into a high performance team within 3 years.

Samy: Eh, Ah Beng, I think you are right. Even Jose Mourinho has to spent 100 million pound to bring in new players and turn Chelsea into a championship team.

Ali: Ai yo, like that susah lah. Turn left cannot, turn right cannot, so how?

Ah Beng: The best person for the job is Mahathir. he has the vision 20 years ago and he has the charisma and he is the only person in Malaysia who can stop Hishamuddin and Khairy from interfering with Proton and talking nonsense.

Samy: But, he is retired?

Ah Beng: That's the only problem. But who else can do the job, I mean, the Malays?

Ali: Maybe, Proton can consider Khairy.

Ah Beng: Why?

Ali: Because he is the PM's SIL and he can talk a lot and he can scheme a lot.

Samy: I think Rafidah is better.

Ali: Why?

Samy: She is daring and brave. She can hold her forte. She can withstand the young chicko who talk a lot.

Ali: But she has the AP problem?

Samy: ai yo weh! AP no problem lah. So far so good. What she has done was perfectly the objective of giving the APs. She gave APs to Malays and it make the few Malays rich.

Ali: But only a few.

Samy: Ya lah. There are only a few of them in this business of importing cars. Only those who have the contract with foreign car manufacturers can apply for AP. So, since only a few have the contract, therefore, she only gave to that few.

Ali: But she give 12,000 to 15,000 to one company?

Samy: Ai yo! These companies import more than 12,000 cars into the country in a year. So they need more than 12,000 APs lah. If you import 1,000 cars, you need 1,000 AP if it is one car per AP. If one AP can bring in 100 cars, then you need 10 APs. Otak Udang!

Ali: Don't say like that lah. I don't import car, so I don't know.

Samy: Then, go and import car and sell them and you also can get AP?

Ali: Can ah?

Samy; Sure lah, you are Malay what.

Ah Beng: Ya, but many Malays also cannot get the privilege. You can see, our Malay friends also never enjoy the benefits of NEP and APs and scholarships. They are also like us, working hard and earning a small salary.

Ali: Ya lah. I also the same.

Ah Beng: You are Ali, so go find the Baba and you can get a project.

Samy: Don't joke like that. This one is very sensitive. We better shut up and drink our teh tarik and get back to work.

Ali: Who is paying?

Ah Beng: You lah!

Ali: Eh, cannot. I am Bumi, you Ah Beng is china towkay, you pay. Hahaha, just joking lah, but I really mean it this time because my pocket has only one ringgit.

Samy: I pay lah. Samy Vellu gave me a project to repair his toilet yesterday. I charge him very high, $100 oh. Can profit $50. So, I belanjar you all today.

Thank you and bye everybody.