THE government will ensure Proton’s survival and make the adjustments needed for it to face an increasingly competitive market, said Prime Minister Najib Razak.

“Whatever we have to rescue, we will rescue,” he said, adding that the national carmaker was too big to fail.

Proton has some 10,000 employees, and is reported to have developed 400 vendors and sub-vendors, plus more than 350 sales and services outlets, which employ at least 50,000 staff.

Proton currently enjoys a 13% market share.

“We will make sure that Proton survives, but we will restructure it to make it competitive,” he said at the Budget 2018 With the Rakyat programme in Kuala Lumpur today.

Najib, who is also finance minister, said the government would relook into some earlier decisions on road tolls.

“I will relook into some of the earlier decisions, which I think were not made in the best interest of the people of Malaysia. That I will do.

“We have re-examined the IPP (independent power producer) issue, unpopular privatisation moves… I will review the toll decisions.”

He said the government would continue looking out for the welfare of the country’s 30 million population.

“And, I will continue to take care of you.” – Bernama, February 22, 2018.