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Australia primed to provide expertise to Malaysia’s automotive industry

30 May 2013

Australia’s automotive capabilities put the nation’s exporters in a strong position to provide components, research and development (R&D), technology and other expertise to Malaysia as the South East Asian nation works to become a major producer of hybrid cars and other higher-value vehicles, an Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) senior representative said.

“Australia has a proud automotive history and is one of only 13 countries with the capability and know-how to design a car from scratch and take it through to final production at world-class quality standards,” Austrade Senior Trade Commissioner Susan Kahwati told a recent roundtable in Malaysia.

Malaysian buyers signalled strong interest at the roundtable, with senior representatives from Perodua and Proton, the country’s two biggest car manufacturers, among the 70 people attending the event.

In the interests of collaboration, Malaysia Automotive Industry (MAI) chief executive Encik Madani Sahari invited Malaysian automotive companies wanting access to Australian expertise to approach MAI for assistance.

“By working together, Australian and Malaysian automotive companies can leverage their complementary skills and capabilities to access demand in the broader ASEAN market,” Ms Kahwati said.

The Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA), which came into effect on 1 January 2013, eliminates tariffs across the automotive and other industries, and provides majority ownership rights for providers of financial, professional, educational and other services.