Vehicle sales in Malaysia rose 12% in 2008

Vehicle sales in Malaysia rose by 12.5% year-on-year in 2008 to 548,115 units, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) said. The figure exceeded MAA’s forecast of 510,000 units. Passenger car sales grew 12.3% to 497,459 units, while commercial vehicle sales increased 14.4% to 50,656 units. Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd retained its leading position in the country with a 30.5% market share, followed by Proton Bhd and Toyota Motor Corp. with market shares of 26% and 18.5%, respectively. However, the MAA has forecast a 12.4% drop in vehicle sales in 2009 to 480,000 units, owing to the global economic slowdown. (January 21, 2009)