Proton just broke ground on two new stamping lines at its Tanjong Malim plant in Perak. The new stamping E and F-Line will expand the production capacity of the national carmaker, and it’s done in preparation for the relocation of the Proton Saga’s production to Tanjong Malim from Shah Alam by 2026.

RM253 million has been earmarked for the new stamping lines, and they are expected to cater to growing production volume in the future along with the introduction of any new models. This is actually the second expansion of the Proton’s parts stamping capabilities in recent years. The previous one was for the D-Line stamping facility, which was launched on 14 March 2023.

One of the advantages of the two new stamping lines is reducing Proton’s reliance on imported parts for its range of models. This improves the supply of local parts while also “insulating the company against potential disruptions to global trade,” as the national carmaker puts it.

“As Proton moves towards consolidating our production operations in Tanjong Malim, we continue to work towards increasing our local parts sourcing. Aside from cost and parts security considerations, we continue to champion the government’s aim to grow local participation in the automotive industry via job creation on multiple levels,” said the CEO of Proton, Li Chunrong.