The ‘Saga’ of an Industrious Designer

Prof Azali Rahim was a crucial figure in the design and development of the first Proton Saga. The highly experienced industrial designer talks about the colossal task and offers a peek into his life

By Raajeish Taalver

Azali shows a copy of a magazine featuring the national car project’s pioneer team. (Azreen Awang pic via Universiti Putra Malaysia)

Prof Azali Rahim has had an absolute dream career in industrial and automotive design. A high point is a significant role he played in designing the first model to roll out from Malaysia’s first national car project, the Proton Saga. The excitement in Azali’s voice is palpable when he talks about his priceless experience that dates back almost 40 years. “(Former Prime Minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dared to dream and dreamt big, and he insisted on a local designer for our first car,” Azali says. He managed a small team tasked with designing the first Saga, based on an obsolete Mitsubishi Lancer model following a joint venture between the Japanese car manufacturer and Malaysia’s Hicom Engineering. He confesses that visualising the model in the early stages was challenging. “This was in 1983. The internet was non-existent, and we didn’t have an automotive industry. “When I requested for photos of the car we were to base Malaysia’s model on, all I got was an owner’s manual for a five-year-old Lancer. So I could only rely on the technical drawings and specifications in the manual. The rest was up to my imagination.” Without the software at the disposal of industry professionals today, Azali spent countless nights sketching and colouring his ideas by hand. “If I had coloured a design yellow, I had to ensure it wouldn’t turn brown the next morning because I did the work under a tungsten light at home!” he laughs. Though based on a previous platform, Azali ultimately altered almost 70 per cent of the car’s exterior and virtually all of the interior. “Whatever I could change, I changed drastically.” There can be no doubt that the car was distinctly Malaysian. “I had no statistics or research data but fused what I believed Malaysians wanted in a car. The result was a sporty-looking, fuel-efficient car with a choice of models. We gave a lot of consideration to the model’s body and interior colours, too.” Azali says the earliest Saga boasted several firsts for an Asian car, delving deeper into the design philosophy. “We incorporated a lighted emblem, an idea suggested by Tun Mahathir. It turned out to be the world’s most expensive emblem to produce at RM60. A regular logo would have cost about 50 sen. “We colour-coordinated the bumpers, side mirrors and wheel caps too – features only seen in expensive European cars at the time.”

Azali played a significant role in designing the first-generation Proton Saga (left). (Manoj Prasad pic via Wikimedia Commons)

Azali seemed destined for a path in industrial design. Growing up in Kota Bharu, he remembers having a passion for art and engineering from a young age. “When I completed secondary school, I saw an ad for an industrial design course at Institut Teknologi Mara (ITM). I had no idea what industrial design was, so I looked it up in an encyclopaedia in the local library. The book showed a sewing machine as an example of industrial design, and I got hooked on it!” After getting his diploma, Azali set his sights on a degree programme in the UK at Manchester Polytechnic. “I wanted to be in Manchester because of the city’s industrial importance. Offered a scholarship and accepted by Manchester Poly, I jumped right into the master’s programme. So I saved at least four years by skipping the degree programme!” Being exposed to the city’s industrial transformation allowed the young Azali to realise the impact of innovation and divergent thinking. He credits his ideas and values in design and engineering to two well-known lecturers at the university. “My principal lecturer was writer, designer and activist Victor Papanek, a pioneer of social and sustainable design and known for his widely-read book ‘Design for the Real World’. “The other great influence on my design philosophy was visiting lecturer and American architect Buckminster Fuller. He discovered the physics formula for a structural principle known as ‘tensegrity’ and had created the geodesic dome.” Azali developed a keen interest in science and technology as he apprenticed for Papanek and Fuller. He spent his summers working on several designs for Papanek, including a UNESCO project and contributed to Fuller’s tensegrity research. He returned to Malaysia to teach in ITM and eventually set up the institute’s industrial design department before becoming involved in the national car project. With his solid industrial experience and extensive academic history, Azali currently teaches a master’s programme in design management at First City UC. “The programme comprises design innovation, professional practice and final project submissions. The design management experience I have remains relevant to this day, thanks in part to my exposure to Japanese and Korean vehicle development,” Azali explains. The latter refers to his involvement in designing the first national commercial vehicle with Hyundai in the mid-1990s.

Workouts play an active role in the pioneer Malaysian industrial designer’s life. (Azali Rahim pic)

At 71, Azali leads an inspiring and active life. “People talk about numbers (their age), but I don’t. I don’t measure my life by my years but by my energy levels. So if you’re bursting with energy, why talk about age?” Workouts and physical activities play a leading role in his life. However, he also has a thrill-seeker side to him few know. “I’ve gone bungee-jumping, skydiving and gliding in New Zealand, where my daughter lives. Next up is mountain-trekking. Any opportunity to do a crazy thing! When the borders reopen, I plan to visit several archaeological sites around the world,” he adds.

The 71-year-old tandem hang-gliding in New Zealand. (Azali Rahim pic)

“As long as you can walk on your own, you should take care of yourself. So I work out, jog, look after my diet and try to sleep well. These things keep me refreshed,” says Azali, who maintains a forward-thinking perspective on life and counts philosophy and the universe among his favourite subjects.