Berjaya Corporation Bhd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BYD Auto Company Ltd, China’s fourth largest automaker by volume, to set up a manufacturing plant in Malaysia, which would eventually be used as a regional hub for the manufacture, assembly and distribution of cars targeted at right-hand drive passenger markets.
With the latest revisions to the National Automotive Policy last year, Berjaya Corp hopes to be granted a local manufacturing licence. “We are preparing to approach the Malaysian government to apply for the car manufacturing licence”, the company’s executive director Datuk Francis Lee said. “We hope the government will be open to this idea as BYD Auto is a leading car manufacturer and this represents multiple opportunities for the local car industry”.
Berjaya Corp intends to locally assemble the BYD F0 1.0-litre model, before bringing in hybrid and electric vehicles such as the F3DM and the e6. BYD Auto, on the other hand, has grander plans, targeting to become the largest automaker in China by 2015 and the world’s largest by 2025.
Tags: Berjaya • Business • BYD • BYD Auto • BYD e6 • BYD F0 • BYD F3DM • China • Malaysia
