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A relatively young Malaysian man, who took to Facebook in 2020 to explain why he was driving a two-decade-old Proton Saga, is back with an update on his refurbished ride.

Two years after his first post was widely circulated, the man said he still loves his old car as it works just fine, and he has saved quite a tidy sum of money simply by forgoing the feeling of wanting to buy and drive a new one.

According to the Facebook post on Aug. 10, 2022, the man wanted to give an update on his journey so far, and to encourage those who are driving old cars out of their own volition to know that there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

What latest update said

According to the man, he is 29 years old now and has owned the second-hand 1999 Proton Saga for four years and eight months so far.

When he started using this car in January 2018, he had to repair and restore quite a number of parts due to the lack of maintenance previously.

Spent RM9,000 only on repairs and maintenance

A back of the envelop calculation revealed that he has spent some RM9,000 (S$2,776) over the past four years or so on the car, which is not a big sum considering that it is inclusive of regular servicing, paint respray, and engine top overhaul among other works.

This amount works out to RM2,250 (S$694) per year, or RM187.50 (S$57.80) per month.

Alternatively, he could have purchased the cheapest brand new Perodua Myvi 1.3G manual at RM44,300 (S$13,666) back in 2018, but the monthly instalment would have been RM487 (S$150) per month over a nine-year repayment period with a RM4,000 (S$1,234) downpayment upfront.

According to him, he did not have that kind of money as he was fresh out of university.

He added: "After four years later, here I am today, still with this car but with most problems solved and repaired."

Owning a car in perpetuity

What was poignant about the post was the man's rationale in wanting to drive an old car, in light of the fact that Malaysians can own their cars in perpetuity.

He said he is choosing financial stability over his image, as it gives him peace of mind, even though some have commented that a man like him with his means, who is not even in his 30s, ought not to be driving such an old vehicle.

He wrote: "You might be thinking, surely at the age of 29 with five years of joining the white collar workforce, I am capable of getting a better car to replace this aging Saga Iswara. You are right, it is possible for me to do so and even buying a new Myvi 1.3."

However, he added: "To me, there is no good reason for me to do so at this moment when the Saga Iswara is still working fine."

"Between social image (in the form of a car) and financial security, I prefer to choose the latter. Having savings for emergencies, family, future plans and investment is very important."

He ended his post by reiterating that he is encouraging those who keep their old cars to continue to do so, and to make it clear he was not running people down if they have bought new cars.

"This is a shout-out to those who still held on to their old cars by their own free will," he said.

Top photos via Classic Automobile Renaissance