November Malaysian Auto Sales Off By Double Digits

The Malaysian auto industry’s down year continued in November with deliveries off 12.5% year-on-year to 49,085 units.

The result was up slightly from October when 47,879 units left salesrooms.

The Malaysian Automotive Assn. had begun the year predicting a full-year result down 3.5% from the record 666,674 deliveries in 2015. But with just one month to go, the market was off 13.7% at 515,293 units.

The new-car market fell 11.7% in November to 43,550 units, while commercial-vehicle deliveries slowed 17.9% to 5,535 units.

This left 11-month new-car sales off 13.8% at 456,943 units. CV deliveries year-to-date were down 13.1% at 58,350 units.

The MAA says it expects sales to increase this month as buyers take advantage of aggressive marketing of this year’s stock and to avoid probable price increases in January because of the weak ringgit.

Manufacturers boosted December output 14.3% to 57,369 units, with car output up 17.8% to 53,880 units and CV production down 21.7% at 3,489.

After 11 months, production was down 12.6% at 497,418 units. The car build fell 12.3% to 458,398 units while CVs were off 16.4% at 39,020.

Meantime, the government’s Bernama news agency quotes the Southeast Asia senior manager of the U.K.-based Institute of the Motor Industry as saying Malaysian car companies need to encourage women to join the industry.

“With women influencing the majority of the automotive purchasing decisions and a huge number bringing their vehicles to service centers for maintenance and repair, this makes creating career opportunities for them in this country more impressive,” Matthew Stuart says.

“We need to encourage women to join this primarily male-dominated workplace,” he says. “Companies need to put in place training programs and financial incentives to cater to this group.”

Stuart says a high percentage of the few women who work in the industry are involved only in backroom administrative functions or are relegated to the reception desk.

“The IMI believes more needs to be done for women to be aware that they can pursue career opportunities from technical, customer service to management positions in this sector,” he says.