Car sales in Malaysia to shift to lower gear

Higher sales: A woman walking toward her car in a parking lot in Putrajaya. The MAA says the local automotive sector’s TIV grew 3.8 to 598,714 units, exceeding MAA’s earlier forecast of 1.5. — AP

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian automotive sector is expected to shift into lower gear in 2019 as total vehicle sales are projected to be flattish, marking a sharp reversal from last year’s stronger-than-expected sales performance.

Anticipating a meagre 0.21% growth in total industry volume (TIV) for 2019, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) said the Pakatan Harapan government is partly to be blamed for the slower automotive sales.