Mahathir breaks ground at car plant

Mahathir breaks ground at car plant

MANILA (Reuter): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad broke ground yesterday for an assembly plant in the northern Philippines that will put together his country's Proton Wira cars.

"The plant provides a strong testament to Malaysia's faith in your country's effort towards industrialization," Mahathir said at the ceremony, where he was joined by Philippine President Fidel Ramos.

The 2.2 billion peso (US$90 million) assembly and engine transmission plant is the first to be built by car company Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Berhad (Proton) outside Malaysia.

It is a joint venture between Proton and the Philippines' Automotive Corporation, ASEA One and Autocorp Group, which Mahathir said exemplified true cooperation among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).