April 16, 2011 22:24 PM
KLANG, April 16 (Bernama) -- The attitude of Malaysians, companies and the government doubting the quality of locally-made goods and the capabilities of local companies are among the causes for the difficulty to develop domestic industries, says former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said not only companies, even the government and the people, have the perception that if a product was not from a foreign country, then it has no quality.
"In Malaysia, we cannot manufacture (a product), even if we do, people will say it is not nice and not good.
"Hence, the attitude we have (on local goods), makes it difficult for us to develop domestic industries because Malaysians don't have confidence," he told a media conference after launching a 36-metre-long tugboat built by a local shipbuilding company, NGV Tech Sdn Bhd, for Saudi Arabia-based Marine Services Pvt Ltd, at its shipyard in Kampung Sijangkang here.
Dr Mahathir said even now many people are saying the national car, Proton, was not good, its window mirrors cannot be lowered and all sorts of other criticisms, but cars manufactured by other countries too have problems.
He said if the people, the government and local companies were prepared to accept Made-in-Malaysia products and have confidence in local manufacturers, Malaysia itself would become a big market for goods produced in this country.
"Only by accepting locally-manufactured products into our Malaysian market, our local manufacturers can get feedback on the "good and bad" of their products and from there they can take corrective measures to improve the quality.
"If we cannot sell in our own country, we go to another country to sell, they will ask is this product used in Malaysia?
"If we say no...your government buys or not? the government doesn't buy. If your own government doesn't buy, your own government doesn't have confidence, how can they have confidence?, he asked.
Dr Mahathir said initially he too did not have confidence in the capabilities of NGV Tech to build high-specification vessels, including for foreign clients from oil and gas industries, when browsing through the company's brochure.
"However, after visiting NGV Tech last year and seeing its operations myself, I begin to have trust and confidence in the expertise and capabilities of the local shipbuilding company helmed by executive chairman Datuk Zulkifli Shariff.
Earlier, in his speech, Dr Mahathir said he saw many Malay youths working in the shipyard have the capabilities to build sophisticated vessels and he felt that with the hardwork of the workforce and excellent management of the company, the shipyard would progress further.
He said NGV Tech's expertise and capabilities showcased that Bumiputeras can compete with other races in the world provided they were given guidance and opportunities to venture into something.
Dr Mahathir said: I think the government has recognised NGV Tech's abilities and I hope more orders from the government for whatever they need."
Asked whether it was true he had received an offer from the government to build ships, Zulkifli said his company is expected to get the "Letter of Award" from the Defence Ministry on Thursday and the agreement for the contract would probably be signed two weeks later.
The ministry's contract is for building two 75-metre-long training vessels for the Royal Malaysian Navy akin to patrol ships equipped with weaponry.
At the launch, Dr Mahathir signed on the launching plaque of a crew ship "MV Seputeh" owned by Crossborder Scapes Sdn Bhd and handed over another crew ship "MV Bima Mulu" to Sribima (M) Shipping Sdn Bhd on behalf of NGV Tech.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir's wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, launched Marine Services' tugboat "Mariner 1" at the event.
Since operational in 2005, NGV Tech had received orders worth about RM3 billion, of which orders amounting to RM2 billion have been fulfilled, while the balance RM1 billion orders will be delivered by 2013.
-- BERNAMA
