Buatan Malaysia: Malaysian drivers share their Malaysian car stories

It’s Malaysia Day! To commemorate this special occasion, TopGear Malaysia reached out to several owners of Malaysian cars, each with a personal story to share about their kereta tempatan.

1) Erwin Zaid- 2020 Proton Saga Premium

I got my first ride when I was 24 years old, during my second year working as a broadcast journalist. It’s a 2020 Proton Saga Premium, a beautiful sexy car in my opinion, and personally the best-looking sedan Proton has offered. I’ve driven it for a year, and all I can say is I enjoy every single moment with ‘her’. I’ve never owned a car, so I depend on public transport and e-hailing before this, thus getting my own car after years of hauling with strangers in the LRT and cabs is really an unsung achievement. Getting my first car really feels like a whole new chapter; it’s like the door to a brave new adventure.

The funny thing when I drove the sedan was that I received a lot of questions from numerous people, regarding my choice to drive Proton Saga. “Eh, why didn’t you buy Persona? Why you choose Saga? A lot of people drive Persona.”

I can do nothing but chuckle, and literally answer the same linear thing all over again. I drive it because I love the design. In fact, I consider the Proton Saga as one of the most original, beautiful, in-house car Proton has ever produced. I find it sexy, especially the `angry’ rear design. It feels really sporty, both inside and out. Other than that, the handling is superb, plus with good fuel consumption, having to work less than 2km to my residence, I only have to fuel up once every two weeks! All in all, my first car really eases up my life, and I’m more than happy to own an in-house designed Malaysian made car.

2) Iklil Fatihah Kamal Redzuan- 2017 Perodua Myvi SE 1.5

My dad bought me a second-hand Perodua Myvi in 2017. I treasure this car so much because it eases my tasks a lot during my university life. Although it is a second-hand car, it has not given me much trouble.

As we know, the Perodua Myvi has its own title which is ‘the king of highway’. I’ve heard it a lot as well. In fact, there are people who keep reminding me to drive slowly on the highway, afraid that I might get into a terrible accident. But I think the title is dependent on the driver. I don’t think it has anything to do with the car I drive. Anyway, I love my Myvi and forever will.

3) Ameerul Eiman Azizi- 1998 Perodua Kancil

People know me with my green Perodua Kancil with gold sport rims. It has become part of my identity. They usually mention that I can be easily found with my bright car. My precious Kancil has been with me for 8 years. It is my first vehicle that I drove back and forth to study and also after I entered working life

I love my Kancil a lot to the point where it feels like if I don’t have this car one day, it will be a big loss for me. So, I hope this car that was built in 1998 will stay with me for many years to come.

4) Siti Mariam Mohamad Nizar- 2020 Proton Saga Standard 1.3

I bought this car right before Covid-19 hit because my former car has gives me a lot of trouble. Since then, Saga has served me a lot.

I had this weird experience one day when I went shopping at a mall in Kuala Lumpur. I kept hearing an announcement calling a particular car owner, mentioning that the beam light was turned on. I buat tak tahu until someone called me and said the same thing as the announcer.

Then I realized that it was my car after all. Since I have been a person who used public transport regularly, I was quite unfamiliar with the idea of having a car. But right now, I am blessed to have my Saga with me.