Porsche to set up CKD operations in Malaysia – report

This one no one saw coming. Porsche is said to be setting up assembly operations in Malaysia, the first outside of Germany. According to The Edge, the facility would be in Kulim, Kedah, and the local partner is Inokom, a subsidiary of Sime Darby. Sime Darby has been Porsche’s local distributor since 2010.

“There have been quite a number of big investments coming into Malaysia in the automotive sector, but the government has yet to declare them. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the movement control order (MCO), many of the principals could not come to Malaysia,” a source told the business publication.

“The announcement has to be made jointly. They are big names; the government cannot just hold a press conference and announce the investments,” the source added.

Another source says that incentives for the investment has been approved by the finance ministry, and Inokom will build a new factory specifically for Porsche at Kulim. Inokom’s Kulim facility rolls out CKD products from BMW and Hyundai, among other marques.

When pressed for a comment by The Edge, Porsche’s deputy director of corporate communications and spokesperson for production and logistics, Christian Weiss said that “ASEAN is a promising region with great potential, and we continuously examine options for further growth in this market”.

Sime Darby Motors says that it welcomes any partnership that will add value to its strategic business plans and as such, regularly engages existing and potential partners to explore opportunities to expand their business.

The comments from Sime Darby and Porsche are not confirmations, but aren’t denials either – typical business PR answers. Guess we’ll have to wait and see. Now everyone can Porsche? It won’t be so, but dreams are free!

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