First announced during the launch of the Proton eMAS 7 (stylised as e.MAS 7) last year, Proton has now officially launched its new Bahasa Melayu or Malay language voice command feature, concurrent with the launch of the all-new Proton X50.
Touted as the “World’s First Bahasa Melayu Voice Recognition,” the new system was developed in just seven months, significantly shorter than the initially planned year-long project timeline. It features a voice assistant affectionately named “Aisyah”, which seamlessly integrates with the existing English voice command system. Proton claims that this makes it “the first carmaker” to offer dual-language capability in its voice command feature.
During the development period, which ran from October 2024 to May 2025, Proton and its technology partner, ACO Tech, collected 4,000 unique command variations each for both Bahasa Melayu and English. The company says this accounts for 336,000 man-hours of collaborative work.
To ensure accuracy, over 200 samples of standard Bahasa Melayu, evenly split between male and female speakers, were recorded. This extensive data allows the system to understand natural language variations, such as the difference between “buka tingkap” and “bukakan tingkap” – both of which will work, by the way.
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For those wondering if the system can understand local dialects, Proton has confirmed that it can. The company even demonstrated the system’s ability to pick up unique accents, including the quirky Kelantanese dialect.
This new feature will debut on the all-new Proton X50 and will likely be rolled out to other new models in the future. The system is also capable of receiving over-the-air (OTA) updates, which will allow it to automatically update and expand its vocabulary and commands over time.
According to Proton, while the system is currently optimised for female voices, the team is already developing male voice recognition and exploring the integration of other languages and dialects for future iterations – maybe even better “Manglish” support in the future?
The all-new Proton X50 is available in three variants, priced from RM89,800 to RM113,300. We previously covered the X50’s new exterior and interior changes in detail, which you can read more about in our preview and launch coverage.
But the biggest update, for us at least, is the introduction of a new 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which replaces the controversial three-banger across the range. This new mill produces 181 hp and 290 Nm of torque, sending power to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which enables a 0-100 km/h time of 7.6 seconds.
Stepping inside the all-new X50 also reveals a new interior design that resembles the one in the eMAS 7. This sees the introduction of a new central 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen that supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a new 8.88-inch letterbox-style digital instrument cluster for the driver.
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ALSO READ: All-new 2025 Proton X50 detailed – Executive gets new safety kit, Full ADAS from Premium and up
