BUTTERWORTH: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has reiterated that the government has no plans to invest in the third national car project as it involved huge cost.
He said no where in the 2019 Budget, which he recently tabled in the Dewan Rakyat, was there any mentioned anything about allocation for the third car project.
He added that even Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had stressed that the third national car project would only go on if there are private investments.
“I want to make it known that a research and development (R&D) on automobiles has been linked to the third national car project. I had been criticised by the opposition, particularly MCA, which claimed that the R&D showed the government was investing money for the third national car project.
“Let me reiterate, that until now the government has not set aside any allocation in the recent budget for the third national car project,” he said.
Lim told this to newsmen during a working visit to the Butterworth police station here today.
He did not elaborate on the R&D, but questioned what was wrong with merely conducting a R&D.
Lim stressed that if the R&D was successful, then it could be used for Proton or even DRB Hicom, and not necessarily the third national car project, unless there are private investments.
“If we mentioned R&D, it is something which should be encouraged. This is so that the country will be innovative. That, however, does not mean we will invest in the third national car project. But of course this will be twisted by irresponsible quarters. I hope they will not make their own assumptions.
“Just like if we carry out R&D in aerospace, does this mean that we will build our own aeroplanes? Technology is not something which is a stand-alone. It is linked to many things.
“So, if a ministry wants to invest in R&D and used its own allocation for that, I don’t see any problem with that. Don’t link it to the government investing in the third national car project,” he added, noting that billions of ringgit are needed for such project and not merely RM10 or RM20 million.
Earlier, Lim said the Butterworth police station, which was built nearly five decades ago, would be given a facelift due to the important role it plays.
“The police station used to be very important when the Royal Australian Air Force was here in the past.
“However, with Butterworth set to become an important tourism and commercial hub, the police station will serve its important role again, especially with the recently-opened Penang Sentral Transportation Hub.
“The government will give the necessary assistance to the police station, according to our own capabilities, and in phases. But definitely, it will be given a facelift, the first since it was built back in 1969,” he added.