Latest news with #AminarRashid
The Star
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Bridging the infrastructure gaps
KUALA LUMPUR: While Malaysia's ambition to become a regional hub for electric vehicles (EVs) is boldly stated, key infrastructure gaps, logistics inefficiencies and cross-border challenges must still be addressed to realise this vision, according to Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii). Its chairman Datuk Aminar Rashid said Malaysia's established strengths in certain sectors could give it a head start – if structural bottlenecks are resolved. 'In Malaysia, our globally recognised electrical and electronics (E&E) sector positions us strongly to lead in EV and battery component manufacturing, and to support the growing demands of the regional mobility ecosystem.' 'But this vision will only materialise if we bridge infrastructure gaps, modernise logistics networks and simplify cross-border mobility, enabling the seamless flow of goods, services and talent,' he said at the inaugural Asean Automotive Conference organised by PricewaterhouseCoopers Malaysia (PwC Malaysia). Aminar stressed that Asean's diversity – in economic, cultural and social aspects – should not be seen as a barrier but rather a strength, as automotive companies increasingly adopt hybrid approaches that combine regional platforms with local customisation. 'As a region, we have weathered complex supply shocks, shifted trade dynamics and accelerated technological demands, and yet we continue to progress with purpose. 'We believe in the power of regional specialisation, where each Asean country contributes according to its unique strengths,' he said. To power the future of mobility, he added, Malaysia must improve workforce capabilities in software, AI, battery technology, smart systems and data analytics. This includes active collaboration with academia, industry and government to build certification pathways and digital training platforms. In line with this effort, during the event, PwC Malaysia and MARii formalised a memorandum of understanding to advance the automotive sector through shared knowledge, data-driven insights and policy support. PwC Malaysia executive chair Nurul A'in Abdul Latif said the knowledge partnership is not only aimed at advancing the automotive sector in Malaysia, but within the broader Asean region. 'We are committed to deliver data-driven insights and will inform and support Malaysia's automotive policy formulation, investment strategies and long-term industry competitiveness,' she said. She said once defined by combustion engines and steel, the automotive industry today is being redefined by electric power and software machines. 'The new mobility era is not just about vehicles, it is about connectivity, digital ecosystems, clean energy and integrated services,' she said. 'Our region holds significant potential, not just as a production hub but as a fertile ground for innovation and new mobility models. 'But we must also address our structural issues, our regulatory gaps and from workforce readiness to technology integration.' Citing task force transformation as an example, she noted that the cars of tomorrow will rely as much on software as they do on batteries, requiring a shift in talent strategies. 'That means our talent strategy, both acquisition and retention, must evolve. And we must look at re-skilling engineers into data scientists, factory workers into automation specialists and even policy makers into digital regulators,' she said. 'Cars are no longer machines. They are smart, connected and I think in the future will be more opinionated than the drivers themselves. 'So whether your next car runs on electricity or on ambition, the future of mobility will keep evolving with or without you in the driver's seat,' she concluded. After a slow start in vehicle sales for the country in the first quarter of financial year 2025 (1Q25), PwC Malaysia sees a pickup in the coming months, though a slight full-year decline is still likely. Total vehicle sales, also known as total industry volume (TIV), in 1Q25 dropped 7% year-on-year to around 188,000 units, from 202,000 units in the same period last year. In a statement yesterday, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) announced that TIV in April rose 1% to 60,527 units from 59,900 units in the previous corresponding month. TIV in the first four months of 2025 dipped 5.4% to 248,730 units from 263,050 units in the previous corresponding period. The MAA attributed the lower year-to-date sales performance to the long Hari Raya break (from April 1 to April 6, 2025), as well as the high festive deliveries in March 2025. The sales performance so far this year comes after a record-breaking 2024, which saw nearly 817,000 units sold – the second highest in the region after Indonesia's 866,000 units. The soft start in Malaysia also contrasts with the broader Asean-6 region, where TIV in 1Q25 rose marginally by 0.8% to about 783,000 units, driven by stronger growth in the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore. PwC Asean automotive leader Patrick Ziechmann said the 7% dip in 1Q25 was largely a result of last year's extraordinary sales performance, which was fuelled by a backlog of orders. 'The 7% dip (in 1Q25) is mainly due to the extraordinary peak last year and this probably is a little bit of a normalisation. 'I don't see the minus 7% for the rest of the year. I think maybe we will see a minus 2% at the end of the year,' he said during the inaugural Asean Automotive Conference organised by PwC. 'This is what I would roughly expect — but probably not the same high number as last year for Malaysia.' PwC expects Malaysia's vehicle sales to dip by 2% in 2025 to around 801,000 units — back to a level the country achieved in 2023. On the EV front, Ziechmann noted that while EV sales grew year-on-year across all Asean-6 markets in 1Q25, Malaysia bucked the trend with a nearly 10% contraction to around 4,000 units, which he attributed to a 'temporary cooldown of automotive sales.' 'Surprisingly, even with Proton's coming into the country, EV sales in Malaysia dropped slightly in the first quarter. But I don't think that this is a continuing basis,' he said. 'In the first quarter we normally see lesser sales globally, and therefore also the EV share might be quite low. We definitely see this changing again — so we see much more EV share in Malaysia as well.' Still, Ziechmann added that Malaysia has some catching up to do with other countries in the region when it comes to EV adoption. Separately, he pointed out that Malaysia stands out globally for its high car ownership, with registered cars per 1,000 driving-age population at 768 — surpassing countries like Germany (730), Japan (630), and the United States (410). He also highlighted the continued strength of Malaysia's national car brands, with Perodua and Proton ranking No. 2 and No. 6 respectively in Asean by volume — despite minimal exports. 'These are purely domestic numbers,' Ziechmann said. On the broader Asean, Ziechmann said TIV for light vehicle use was 3.39 million in 2019, but dropped slightly to 3.29 million in 2024, down from a peak of about 3.5 million in 2023. Ziechmann said main drivers of this dip were Thailand and Indonesia, which fell 25% and 16% year-on-year respectively. In particular, he said last year's 25% drop in the Thai car market was mainly due to the country's huge household debt. 'The 90% of GDP in Thailand is actually the amount of the household debt in Thailand. This is why the banks were asked to restrict their lending, and therefore the market in Thailand is dropping so deep,' Ziechmann explained. Ziechmann pointed to a clear trend in the Asean region where Japanese brands, which have long dominated the market, are losing significant share. 'They lost about 4% last year, and over the last three years, they have lost almost 10%, putting a lot of pressure on the established original equipment manufacturers,' he said. According to Ziechmann, the main beneficiaries of this shift are Chinese marquees, which are gaining ground in the region.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Malaysia poised to lead EV, battery manufacturing sector in ASEAN
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's strong electrical and electronics (E&E) sector positions the nation to lead the electric vehicle (EV) and battery component manufacturing sector to support the growing demands of the regional mobility ecosystem in ASEAN. Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) chairman Datuk Aminar Rashid said the country's vision could only be realised by addressing infrastructure gaps, modernising logistics networks, and simplifying cross-border mobility to ensure the smooth flow of goods, services and talent. 'Our National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2020 outlines a clear vision to drive Malaysia towards becoming a regional hub for next-generation vehicles, mobility accessories, and Industry 4.0 technologies. 'In parallel, Malaysia's new Industrial Master Plan 2030 reinforces our direction that challenges us to move towards high-value, high-technology industries while embracing sustainability and inclusivity,' he said in his opening remarks during the PwC Automotive ASEAN Conference here today. Aminar said MARii also collaborates with the academia, industry, and government to build certification pathways, digital training platforms and inclusive programmes to reach all Malaysians in powering the future of mobility. 'MARii will pave the way toward a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future built on collaboration, innovation and a clear purpose. 'No single player can navigate this shift alone as it requires governments, industries, academia, financial institutions and consumers to work together not only within our borders but also across ASEAN and beyond,' he said. At the conference, PwC Malaysia and MARii also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at advancing Malaysia's automotive sector within ASEAN. PwC Malaysia executive chair Nurul A'in Abdul Latif said the partnership targets to strengthen Malaysia's position as a mobility innovation regional hub. 'The automotive industry is undergoing profound change, driven by shifts in technology, regulation, investment priorities and consumer preferences. 'Through this collaboration, PwC is committed to deliver data-driven insights and will inform and support Malaysia's automotive policy formulation, investment strategies and long-term industry competitiveness, especially with Malaysia assuming the ASEAN chairmanship,' she said.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Malaysia eyes EV lead with strong E&E, MARii-PwC pact
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's strong electrical and electronics (E&E) sector positions the nation to lead the electric vehicle (EV) and battery component manufacturing sector to support the growing demands of the regional mobility ecosystem in ASEAN. Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) chairman Datuk Aminar Rashid said the country's vision could only be realised by addressing infrastructure gaps, modernising logistics networks, and simplifying cross-border mobility to ensure the smooth flow of goods, services and talent. 'Our National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2020 outlines a clear vision to drive Malaysia towards becoming a regional hub for next-generation vehicles, mobility accessories, and Industry 4.0 technologies. 'In parallel, Malaysia's new Industrial Master Plan 2030 reinforces our direction that challenges us to move towards high-value, high-technology industries while embracing sustainability and inclusivity,' he said in his opening remarks during the PwC Automotive ASEAN Conference here today. Aminar said MARii also collaborates with the academia, industry, and government to build certification pathways, digital training platforms and inclusive programmes to reach all Malaysians in powering the future of mobility. 'MARii will pave the way toward a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future built on collaboration, innovation and a clear purpose. 'No single player can navigate this shift alone as it requires governments, industries, academia, financial institutions and consumers to work together not only within our borders but also across ASEAN and beyond,' he said. At the conference, PwC Malaysia and MARii also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at advancing Malaysia's automotive sector within ASEAN. PwC Malaysia executive chair Nurul A'in Abdul Latif said the partnership targets to strengthen Malaysia's position as a mobility innovation regional hub. 'The automotive industry is undergoing profound change, driven by shifts in technology, regulation, investment priorities and consumer preferences. 'Through this collaboration, PwC is committed to deliver data-driven insights and will inform and support Malaysia's automotive policy formulation, investment strategies and long-term industry competitiveness, especially with Malaysia assuming the ASEAN chairmanship,' she said.
The Star
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Malaysia poised to lead Asean's EV, battery manufacturing sector, says MARii
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's strong electrical and electronics (E&E) sector positions the nation to lead the electric vehicle (EV) and battery component manufacturing sector to support the growing demands of the regional mobility ecosystem in Asean. Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) chairman Datuk Aminar Rashid said the country's vision could only be realised by addressing infrastructure gaps, modernising logistics networks, and simplifying cross-border mobility to ensure the smooth flow of goods, services and talent. "Our National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2020 outlines a clear vision to drive Malaysia towards becoming a regional hub for next-generation vehicles, mobility accessories, and Industry 4.0 technologies. "In parallel, Malaysia's new Industrial Master Plan 2030 reinforces our direction that challenges us to move towards high-value, high-technology industries while embracing sustainability and inclusivity,' he said in his opening remarks during the PwC Automotive Asean Conference here on Monday (May 19). Aminar said MARii also collaborates with the academia, industry, and government to build certification pathways, digital training platforms and inclusive programmes to reach all Malaysians in powering the future of mobility. "MARii will pave the way toward a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future built on collaboration, innovation and a clear purpose. "No single player can navigate this shift alone as it requires governments, industries, academia, financial institutions and consumers to work together not only within our borders but also across Asean and beyond,' he said. At the conference, PwC Malaysia and MARii also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at advancing Malaysia's automotive sector within Asean. PwC Malaysia executive chair Nurul A'in Abdul Latif said the partnership aims to strengthen Malaysia's position as a mobility innovation regional hub. "The automotive industry is undergoing profound change, driven by shifts in technology, regulation, investment priorities and consumer preferences. "Through this collaboration, PwC is committed to delivering data-driven insights and will inform and support Malaysia's automotive policy formulation, investment strategies and long-term industry competitiveness, especially with Malaysia assuming the ASEAN chairmanship,' she said.- Bernama
New Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Malaysia poised to lead EV, battery manufacturing in Asean — MARii
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's strong electrical and electronics (E&E) sector positions the nation to lead the electric vehicle (EV) and battery component manufacturing sector to support the growing demands of the regional mobility ecosystem in ASEAN. Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) chairman Datuk Aminar Rashid said the country's vision could only be realised by addressing infrastructure gaps, modernising logistics networks, and simplifying cross-border mobility to ensure the smooth flow of goods, services and talent. "Our National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2020 outlines a clear vision to drive Malaysia towards becoming a regional hub for next-generation vehicles, mobility accessories, and Industry 4.0 technologies," he said in his opening remarks during the PwC Automotive ASEAN Conference here today.
