Proton "Accord"

I didn’t quite follow the goings-on in Proton… until I saw a Proton “Accord”

I was driving slowing around Precinct 2 of Putrajaya the other day. I had to find a place to park my car. You know where Precinct 2, right?

A sleek black car zoomed past me.

“Isn’t that a Honda Accord?” I asked my wife. Of course, she didn’t know, since she had no interest in cars at all.

“How come it is carrying a Proton badge?” Again, I asked myself.

Soon, I see many more Proton “Accords”.

I was a Liu-laolao! These cars are all chauffeured-driven; the people in the back seat are all top bureaucrats of the country. This is Precinct 2, friend!

I googled.

Proton had entered into a badge engineering agreement with Honda. No wonder!

This reminds me of NAZA cars when I first saw them.

When did NAZA start to produce its own cars, I asked a friend.

They are all KIAs, came the answer. NAZA just stick a new badge to them. I learned for the first time the meaning of Badge Engineering. How clever we Malaysians are!

You know the Hokkiens have this line of reprimand for copycats: Use the hide of someone’s butt to do a makeover of your face?

But isn’t this a form of plagiarism, albeit a sanctioned one?

No wonder we are not hard on plagiarists in our universities.

People like Ridhuan Tee can sleep well; no worries!