Despite his open displeasure on being kept in the dark over the national car maker's business ventures, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad today stressed he will not resign from his position as Proton advisor.

"I will not resign. I was appointed. If people sack me, I will go," he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

According to Mahathir, the Proton management informed him in writing regarding decisions made but does not ask him for advice.

"They do not ask (me for) advice. They just inform me. So I just get informed," he said. Asked if he responded to these letters, he replied: "I say yes. I got the message."

On Monday, the former premier went ballistic when asked on the talks between Proton and Japanese car maker Mitsubishi on a possible alliance.

Mahathir told reporters that he had no knowledge of what Proton does as it never informs him on such matters.

Asked today if the alliance was a good move, he said: "Well, It's up to Proton to decide. I have nothing to do with it."

"I don't give advice anymore," he said amid laughter when asked on his opinion about the alliance in his capacity as Proton advisor.

However, he said Proton had written to him that the company wanted to resume talks with Mitsubishi.

As for Proton's future, Mahathir reiterated that based on media reports it appeared as if the people had lost confidence.

"I can only judge from reports in the press as I know very little..... I look at the price of the share which has come down by almost four ringgit so I think people don't have confidence," he said.

Of golf and bridges

On the New Straits Times report today that Malaysia was going ahead with its plans to build a bridge across its half of the Johor Straits, Mahathir said he was happy that the government had finally made a decision.

As for Singapore's half, he said: "I waited 22 years, I never got permission to even raise (charges for the water supplied to Singapore) from three cents to four cents. So if you want to wait you can wait until kingdom come."

He said the relationship between Malaysia and Singapore was good now and in jest referred to the much publicised golf game between Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and former Singapore premier Goh Chok Tong.

"You see I don't play golf . May be if I play golf, I would have played golf with them but I am not very good at golf," he quipped.

During Mahathir's tenure, ties between the two nations was often marked by intermittent tensions.