KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — The government is ready to assist Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) expand its existing markets and explore new markets, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Towards this end, he wants Perodua to continue enhancing its production capability and subsequently achieve economies of scale that is competitive and on par with foreign companies in this region.
The impact of the country’s automotive industry development is very important and this is reflected in the economic activities generated through the creation of jobs, improvement in technical skills, technology transfer, and reduction in the dependency on foreign companies, the Prime Minister said in his address at the launch of the all-new Alza today.
In fact, Ismail Sabri said Perodua has also proven its continuous commitment to the local automotive sector with the purchase of automotive components amounting to an average of RM7 billion annually.
This will enable local companies to utilise the revenue generated from the sales of components to continue developing their respective businesses, whether expanding their operations or investing in new technologies, he said.
“I was made to understand that there are local component companies that have become component suppliers to Daihatsu in Japan.
“This is a proud achievement for the country as usually, we import components from Japan but now we export them to that country. I congratulate them for these accomplishments,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the government also expressed gratitude to Perodua for seeking opportunities for cooperation with various ministries to develop the country’s automotive industry ecosystem for the well-being of Keluarga Malaysia.
“These efforts implemented by Perodua should also become an example for other local companies. wherein the interest of the country is prioritised for the well-being of all,” he said.
Looking at the encouraging growth of the automotive industry, Ismail Sabri is confident that Malaysia is able to achieve the vehicle sales target of 600,000 units in 2022, an increase of 17.9 per cent compared with that recorded in 2021.
A total of 61,624 vehicles were registered in the first quarter of this year, up 6.4 per cent from 57,909 vehicles sold in the same period in 2021.
Perodua meanwhile has targeted sales of 247,800 units in 2022, an increase of 30.2 per cent from 190,291 vehicles sold last year.
— Bernama
