16 July 2011

Malaysian Prime Minister visits Group Lotus

YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak is confident of Group Lotus future success

Group Lotus’ Hethel headquarters played host to the honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia today as he took time to discover the latest developments and progress made at the facility. Along with a presentation of key achievements, Group Lotus also had the opportunity to present its five year business plan .
After a tour of the design studio, YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak was shown the production line before experiencing first hand the recently opened test track in an Evora IPS.

Speaking at the end of his visit the Prime Minister of Malaysia said: “To be honest, when I first learnt of the future plans for Lotus, I felt a small degree of scepticism due to the level of investment required but now I’m going home as a strong supporter of the turnaround plan. I’d like to categorically say that Group Lotus has the endorsement of the Malaysian Government and Khazanah.”

“With the current plan in place, I can see that the level of professionalism is high, enthusiasm and morale are high too and I have a sense that the business plan is more than achievable. It might be bold and ambitious or even audacious but there is nothing like the motivation that comes from setting such high targets, with this situation you can strive and go the extra mile and achieve what you may not otherwise be able to achieve. I wish Group Lotus all the best, good luck and this definitely won’t be the last time I visit.”

Commenting on the visit Group Lotus Chief Executive Officer Dany Bahar said: “It is a real pleasure and honour for us to have the Prime Minister of Malaysia here. I think it’s very important that he can see how much things have changed here and get a real feel for the future direction of Group Lotus. We very much appreciate and value his support.”

Dato' Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, Chairman of Proton, Lotus’ shareholder, said: “The site visit today is a very significant event for Proton and Group Lotus. Not only can the honourable Prime Minister see the physical changes that have been made at Hethel but his time here also allows him to get an even greater understanding of the future business plan.”

The visit to Group Lotus makes up part of the Prime Minister’s inaugural visit to the United Kingdom since taking office in 2009.