The influx of new car brands that have come about in recent times may be a good thing for Malaysian buyers in terms of providing expanded choices and more competitively priced products, but there is now a need to ensure that not just anything and everything comes our way as a CBU import simply because it can, and is cheap.
According to ministry of investment, trade and industry (MITI) minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, it is imperative to determine if any additions to the automotive chain bring any value to consumers beyond just being cheap.
“Our population is only about 34 million people. So, I’ve decided that we need to revise it. We are not bringing all cheap cars into this country. This is not a country that we can dump everything that is excess from any other country in the world,” he said in his speech during the launch of the Proton eMas 7 PHEV yesterday.
“We have to choose cars that are of the right quality. Cars that can benefit our local economy. We must also make sure that it has to be driven by good technology, and not only on price. I hope you will all agree with what I’ve said,” he added.
His statement comes in the wake of the new regulation that all new CBU imported EVs from new brands yet to enter the Malaysian market must now be priced from RM250k up, and their combined power must be at least 200 kW (272 PS) as of January 1 this year, a significant jump from the RM100k minimum imposed on CBUs when the tax exemptions were in place.
The new ruling supposedly also applies to all new CBU EV models, regardless of whether the brand is already in Malaysia or not. As such, only CBU EVs that have been approved before December 31, 2025 can fall back on the previous RM100k floor price, with taxes applied.
However, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) says it is engaging with the ministry to clarify the issue, and until then the issue hangs in the air. The way around all this is to CKD, which is of course what MITI is trying to push with these CBU hurdles.
The idea that allowing anything to come just because it can without a cap in place is of course unthinkable, because the last thing anyone needs is for a flood of sub-standard offerings to head our way as a result of that. But while locks are necessary, they may not need to be set to the point of constriction. The answers to this, in due course.
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Huh? Malaysia itself already produced some of the cheapest and lowest quality cars that cannot be sold in some First World Countries!
Basically PH Gomen duwan Msians to own cheap affordable cars. They want to keep cars expensip so only the rich can buy while the poor remain on motors. PH Gomen is working only for the rich and not for all rakyat Malaysia.
Under Madani proton saga prices going down the wazoo because of his election promise to lower car prices. He kept his promise so he must be reelected!
the facts tell the opposite story. malaysia per-capita car buying is 8x yes eight times compared to neibhbour indonesia, so malaysian strong ringgit and massive buying power demand was thanks to which PM and which govt?
Since the pandemic, the annual sales of private motor vehicles has been slowly rising from less than 600,000 to 759,098 as of last year. If you’re saying that more Malaysians now can’t afford to buy new cars than before, it means that you must be a citizen of another country & not a rakyat Malaysia as you claim to be.
Safeguarding Malaysia’s Roads Against Substandard Vehicles
Recent reports regarding the 2-star crash test rating of the Toyota Corolla Cross (2026 African Market variant) have highlighted a disturbing trend of manufacturers offering lower safety standards in emerging markets. It is important to note that the rating applies to the Africa-spec model, not the Malaysian one. The Malaysian-spec model has a separate, higher safety rating.
We wish to make it clear: Malaysia is not an “emerging market” for safety; we are a leader.
unfortunately, it has already become a dumping ground for cheap low level Chinese cars and trucks and its sad to see some people supporting them so much that you think they are working for CCP!!!. each OEM brings several models here and after 6 month they are basically lemon and low resale value so they need to be disposed. please make some blocks so only top Tier ones can come here. let more EU, US and Japanese and Korean EVs to come here.
yeah better bring in Continental and Western cars from brands like -Citroen Peugeot AlfaRomeo Fiat Seat Saab GM Chrysler Ford VW Rover Austin Morris.
because these western brands are known to be reliable and durable, no wait they arent.
Since when the chinese cars you are lusting to are reliable?
i am saying those junk western conti brands that i mentioned are generally Unreliable, on top of being expensive – Citroen Peugeot AlfaRomeo Fiat Seat Saab GM Chrysler Ford VW Rover Austin Morris.
heck even the brand new mercedes S-580e was so unreliable that the dealer was not able to fix it and finally the buyer sued to dealer to get a refund
Buy today n the value of korean cars will drop drastically nex day. With tis exobit price, buyers wil look for China brand. Further to that the spare parts for Korea brand car is not cheap.
All vehicles sold in Malaysia must undergo Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) by the Road Transport Department (JPJ). This process ensures that the “Modern Sophisticated” specs promised are physically present and functional, preventing any manufacturer from substituting high-spec global models with lower-quality variants intended for less-regulated markets.
gomen will again force people to buy these local trash. The way is as usual, impose high tariff on non-national brands. Gee, thanks Proton.
how come u didn’t also thank perodua?
You mean Perutdua? Coz their crap EV nobody buy?
customers want cars which are both good and cheap. not the stupid UMW vios hybrid or QEV which are expensive and lousy
Dengar boleh, percaya jangan. How many problems do Chery cars keep bringing and yet they just dismissed the problems. They will only sell to you, after sales service is consider as gambling.
Dengar boleh, percaya jangan. How many problems do Chery cars keep bringing and yet they just dismissed the problems. They will only sell to you, after sales service is consider as gambling.
We make cheap cars. Just as cheap as the imported car. Also not as good as the imported car. Our not so cheap cars cannot compete with the imported cheap cars.
No need look elsewhere. Our current perodua bezza, axia sorry to says are crappy car with lousy safety. Just remove the protection and see how perodua going to survive.
Considering the state of our ‘local’ automotive manufacturing where in Proton’s case there is only a token effort to use local suppliers, I fail to see why protection is still necessary. It isn’t benefitting our local manufacturing anymore, in fact it is killing it. 41 years already. Sudah cukup protection. Sink or swim time now. Tariff those manufacturers whose home governmentals are subsidising them heavily eg PRC and USA and then see what happens.
Really? Take a good look at the japanese and german brands then.
Lu tak mahu cheap and low quality cars from others, do you think others want your cheap and low quality cars?
This is a solution looking for a problem. Nobody is dumping cheap cars into Malaysia. Even the Chinese EVs sold here aren’t cheap. Our car prices are among the highest in the world.
Has he forgotten about the Tiara? The Juara?
Perodua owes it’s entire existance to the Kancil. You didn’t have problems with cheap cars then as long as you can line your pockets.
Yes, there are garbage cars out there, but this just stinks of another round of protectionism.
If you really want good EVs, China has plenty. It’s just restricted here by more ways than one. The 100k cap just forces distributors and importers here to sell higher than it needs to be to give Proton breathing room.
So are we too good to own and drive a Wuling minicar now?
The worst part is that cars are expensive but low quality and unsafe here…
Joke. How that Neta even allowed to sell here. Boleh land
As always, ameno ministers, always talk kok. Same like PN ministers while in power. Next PRU, PN ministers will be in power again. And they always blindfully listen to the selfish government officers who did selfish “research”, for their own being. High salary, high perks, high pensions.
I agree on the quality and the safety issues. Malaysia should strive for higher standard on this, be it P1, P2 and the foreign brands. But I completely disagree on the stupidly increase price up to 100k per car, with no reason.
If 20% fixed govt tax for the CBU and 10% govt tax for CKD , then it is good already for the TOP government staff salary as well as the Parliament Members. Those govt servants income lower than 3k, it is fair enough to be helped, but not the rich one.
So…just talk again? Lemon Law where?
got other player wanted to sell cheap and better quality car than P1 & P2 but government policy won’t allow. so what the hack tell us
Malaysia is not a ground for dumping cheap and low quality cars. It is actually DUMPING expensive and low quality cars. Not even having lemon law, and also after sales just screwed up in every way possible.
Easy. Only allow 5 stars crash rating vehicle to be imported.