TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former head of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono spoke up about the recent polemic of the manufacturing of a national car that involved Proton, Malaysia’s major car manufacturing company.

As previously reported, PT Adiperkasa Citra Lestari owned by Hendropriyono had signed an agreement with Proton.

President Joko Widodo, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Proton President Director, Mahathir Mohamad witnessed the signing of the cooperation in Malaysia on Saturday.

The agreement was signed by Hendropriyono and Proton CEO Daruk Abdul Harith Abdullah in Proton headquarter.

However, the news about the cooperation was met with a strong reaction form the people because they thought the government should not have invited the Malaysian company to develop national cars.

However, Hendropriyono said that the use of the term ‘national car’ in this cooperation is not appropriate.

"They had better learn academic terms well,” he said in a text message to Tempo.

According to Hendropriyono, this project is a private-to-private cooperation and the form of this cooperation is technology development, which can employ around 6,000 workers.

Hendropriyono also said the cooperation is important because building car factories in Indonesia would require a huge amount of funds and by cooperating with Proton production process would be more efficient.

He further said that Proton, would also lend its assistance in marketing and networking.

SYAILENDRA | TIM TEMPO