PUTRAJAYA: The Proton Business Case Study Challenge 2025 recently had its grand finale in Putrajaya.
It was won by team WOLC from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), who beat out 41 other teams from 25 public and private universities representing six regions in Malaysia.
The second edition of the national automaker's academic case competition had kicked off on Nov 14.
For 2025, the case-study based question posed to all teams asked them to consider how Proton can lead Malaysia’s transition from ICE (internal combustion engine) to EV (electric vehicle) while remaining competitive across both segments.
It reinforced the company’s focus on the evolving automotive landscape and supporting human capital and administration (HCA) efforts to engage high-potential local undergraduates and
identify future talents for Proton, including 30 conditional offers to join the company under its Proton Young Talents (PYT) programme.
Team Anova from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Team SAA UMK from Universiti Malaysia Kelantan secured the first and second runners-up positions with cash prizes of RM5,000 and RM3,000 respectively, while the champions received RM8,000.
Phibert Goh Jie Hao from UNIMAS won the Best Individual Presenter Award with a cash prize of RM1,000.
The grand finale was judged by leaders from Proton and MARi, and attended by Proton deputy CEO Datuk Abdul Rashid Musa.
Finalist teams represented six regions across Malaysia, comprising Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
The roots of the Proton Business Case Study Challenge originate from 2023 when the company started its first business case competition in collaboration with the Association of Malaysian Students studying in Beijing (AMSIB).
From there, the event progressed to the first national level competition that was won by Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) in 2024 before advancing to this year’s event.
Through initiatives like the Proton Business Case Study Challenge, Proton continues to demonstrate its commitment to nurturing local Malaysian talent and strengthening ties with universities across the country.
These efforts complement the company’s PYT programme, which has welcomed 400 young graduates into the organisation.
With structured job rotations, mentoring, peer and performance reviews, as well as hands-on projects, PYT provides participants with a strong foundation in the automotive industry and
within Proton itself.
