KULAI, Jan 10 — It was a nostalgic moment when Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar personally drove Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to Senai International Airport this afternoon in a first model of the Proton Saga.
Sultan Ibrahim took Mahathir on a 20km journey from Istana Bukit Serene to the airport in the Proton Saga with the registration number ‘Proton 1’.
“The driving was good and there was no breakdown,” Mahathir said in jest, when asked about the journey during a media conference later.
He said the blue Proton Saga was gifted to Sultan Ibrahim’s late father Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail in 1985 during his first tenure as the country’s fourth prime minister.
“The car is 34-years-old. It has a manual transmission and has about 22,000km on its odometer. Basically, this is a good endorsement for Proton,” said Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir and Sultan Ibrahim are known to be keen car enthusiasts.
Earlier, Dr Mahathir had an hour-long audience with Sultan Ibrahim at Istana Bukit Serene in Johor Baru.
The Proton Saga is Malaysia’s first national car. It was Proton’s flagship model and the company’s longest running nameplate, having been produced with several variations for over 31 years.
The Proton Saga had cost RM17,000 when it was first launched.
