KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Malaysia's state-controlled automaker Proton was expected Sunday to appoint Mohamad Azlan Hashim as its new chairman after Abu Hassan Kendut quit the post.
The Edge newspaper reported Proton's board would consider Azlan's appointment Monday. He is a former Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange executive chairman.
The Asian Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Abu Hassan resigned because he felt former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who has no formal executive position in Proton, was interfering with management efforts to revamp the long-protected automaker.
Abu Hassan had represented Proton's biggest shareholder, government investment arm Khazanah Nasional.
Khazanah raised its stake in Proton to 43 percent last month when Japan's Mitsubishi Corp sold its 7.9 percent stake for $101 million.
Mahathir was appointed adviser to Proton in April last year. He created the company in 1983 as part of Malaysia's drive into heavy industry but has denied interfering in management.
