UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) – a joint venture between local conglomerate UMW Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) – celebrated 50 years of vehicle production in Malaysia with a special ceremony held at its new plant in Bukit Raja, Klang this morning.
The golden jubilee event was graced by Sultan of Selangor HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and HRH Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin. Also present were Selangor menteri besar Datuk Amirudin Shari, Japan ambassador to Malaysia Dr Makio Miyagawa, and Tatsuro Ueda, CEO of China and Asia region at TMC.
In his speech, UMWT chairman Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah bin Che Othman expressed his gratitude to the state and federal governments for their support over the decades. “Our heartfelt thanks to all Toyota customers and Malaysians for your contribution and support over the last 50 years, which has enabled us to be where we are now,” he said.
On UMWT’s latest investment of around RM2 billion to set up the Bukit Raja factory, Hamad Kama Piah said the move has brought in the latest and advanced manufacturing technology, high levels of automation and innovative design, while promoting energy efficiency in Malaysia.
“At the same time, we have not forgotten the environment and safety; our new plant has been conceived as a society-caring plant which is less noisy, and it operates with various renewable energy initiatives as well as low in carbon footprint,” he said, adding that UMWT also emphasises on human capital development to develop more high-skilled Malaysian talent while reducing the need for foreign labour.
Looking ahead, the UMWT chairman said that in tandem with market expansion, the company will continue to develop local suppliers and promote higher localisation.
“Toyota’s vision is to lead the way in the future of mobility, pursuing new and innovative ways of connecting people through transportation and technology. This can only be achieved by engaging the talent and passion of people, who believe there’s always a “better way”. In this sense, I truly appreciate Malaysians and particularly the people of Selangor for your hard work to make Toyota grow to what it is today,” said Ueda, the TMC rep, who described the new factory as one of the best in Asia in terms of advanced manufacturing tech.
To commemorate Toyota’s 50 years production milestone in Malaysia, UMWT presented a Toyota Yaris to the Selangor Youth Community. The five-door B-segment hatchback was handed over to HRH Sultan Sharafuddin. The association’s patron is the Raja Muda of Selangor, DYTM Tengku Amir Shah.
Here’s a brief history on Toyota production in Malaysia. In 1968, the Champion Motor plant in Shah Alam started assembling Toyotas, with the first model being the Corolla KE10 you see here. In 1975, Champion Motor was renamed to Assembly Services Sdn Bhd (ASSB), and the name is being used till today. In 1982, Sejati Motor, the predecessor to today’s UMWT (the name change happened in 1987) was formed as a JV between UMW, TMC and Toyota Tsusho Corp. It acquired the ASSB plant.
When 1990 came around, 300,000 units of Toyota vehicles had been assembled in Malaysia, and the tally reached 500,000 in year 2000. Midway through the decade, the first generation of the IMV range (International Multi-purpose Vehicle) including the Hilux, Innova and Fortuner was introduced. The one million units milestone was reached in 2011.
More recently, the Camry Hybrid rolled out of Shah Alam in 2015, the first hybrid model to do so. In 2016, production of the second generation IMV range started, as well as construction of the Bukit Raja plant. In 2018, the 1.5 million mark was reached.
The new 670,000 sqm Bukit Raja plant’s first fruit is the current Toyota Vios, followed by its Yaris hatchback sister model – both were introduced this year. With around 1,000 staff, the new plant’s current production volume is 50,000 units per year, with room for expansion. ASSB’s Shah Alam plant is still running at a capacity of 38,000 units a year. It puts together the Toyota Hilux, Fortuner, Innova and Hiace panel van.
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Bravo! Banzai Toyota Banzai!
Toyota is truly a game changing company. Please stop blaming Toyota Japan for Malaysians having low spec Toyota. It is not Toyota Japan’s fault. It is GLC UMW’s fault.
30 years ago, UMW should have negotiated better deals for Malaysians insisting on higher spec cars. But instead, UMW decided to short change Malaysians with low spec and high prices.
Look at Altis and Camry. Even 10 years ago, all their global cars had 10 airbags and VSC as standard. But in Malaysia, our Camry had only 2 airbags and no VSC until 2 years ago.
Do not blame Toyota Japan for our Malaysian low spec Toyota cars in the past. Toyota Japan is a business. They will give anything the principal (UMW) of a country asks.
Putrajaya workers are not good at business or how to make a good bargain.
Majority here are not good at car business. Selling food at roadside and selling car is a whole different league
Well majority here are car enthusiast, not car salespeople.
That pristine Toyota KE10 would worth over RM50k today. Extraordinary RV value since its 5k selling price back in 1968..
Lucky we still have a second game changing national carmaker that is good at car business. Therefore, we must be proud of it
well, the minorities here are bunch of chauvinistic kiam siap snobs. they wont hire the locals, but gladly take their money.
Toyota is a game changing company in Malaysia. Every models Toyota sold here is very successful, worth the celebration here. Meanwhile, Our Proton is more than 30 years and yet still nothing to be celebrated which is so unfortunate because Proton is suppose to make us proud but instead it became a game over carmaker
Every model is successful? Ever heard of Yaris? hahahhaha!!!!
https://paultan.org/2019/04/18/galeri-toyota-yaris-1-5g-2019-milik-janna-nick/
Thanks to the local and federal government. That’s it? No good news for Toyota fans? No new models launching? Like the Camry (CKD) or the Corolla?
UMW failed..failed…failed.
Toyota Japan…look at Honda malaysia,and now Proton.
IF Toyota Japan wants to maintain status quo and let the sales slide into mediocrity,go ahead.
Rakyat not interested in seeing celebrations.WE want cheaper Toyotas,not overpriced cars.celebrations mean nothing to us,u faham,Toyota jepun?
Car prices are set by our govt not byToyota.
Car prices are set by the franchise holders which conforms to the regulations and clauses. A car with more ASEAN parts like Almera will be priced cheaper than equivalent Vios which has less ASEAN contents. Whether the franchise holder wants to sell the car at an attractive final selling price or maintain the high price and pocket the larger margin, that really depends on market forces. A Toyota Rush that cannot sell at the high intro price, could be made attractive by changing the badges of unsold stocks and redesignating them as national cars thus lowering their final selling price.
the Yaris selling like hot cakes. the CHR (CKD) coming soon, Thai import Camry or the Corolla..
I read the article twice and found nowhere in it mentioning Toyota wants to fight for sale in Malaysia. They are more focussed on environment, people development, supplier development. So now basher can stop bashing Toyota dwindling sales.
*hik hik hik
From good to rotten.
50 years of selling old technologies to Malaysians…
Toyota brought out their real dinosaur just to show us there isn’t that much changes from the dinosaurs they are selling today? Why shoot yourself Toyota?
Toyota RV4 CKD Please.
amazing plant this one. always awed at such advanced robotics at work. Now when can i sneak in? :p
Please bring us Corolla and be gentle on the pricing-wise.
We should get a more sensible pricing Estima at RM150,000 or less expensive instead of spartan technology of Innova.
RAV4 were better car than CR-V but will be a failure due to the pricing alone.
Toyota should bring in more SUVs in CKD form…especialyl the RAV4
Yeah with the high technology at the plant but without the quality and after sales service.
I read this as “toyota ke sepuluh, 1st car assemble in msia” hurt my brain sekejap
toyota is generally good car…until managed and sold via UMW….whom is greedy and didnt care about customers..
Dear Toyota. I was a big fan of your brand and had an Altis for 4 years and 6 months. Sold it in 2015. The car was very reliable but the design was boring so changed to XV. I am looking around for my next car and while Toyota has great models but in Malaysia:
a.The offerings are inferior in terms of safety technology. Only the Camry has Toyota Safety Sense
b. No affordable sporty models like the coming Mazda 3 Hatchback.
You need to look at models that suits the lifestyle of singles and small families that want more excitement other than just reliable and practicle car.
So are we getting the CKD RAV4 soon or the Thailand CBU?