The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) continues to prioritize Proton (backed by Geely) and Perodua (backed by Toyota/Daihatsu) as national automakers, aiming to protect the local supply chain and over 700,000 local jobs within the automotive ecosystem.
While ownership of these brands has shifted, MITI’s stance in 2026 remains focused on long-term industrial growth, encouraging foreign partners to deepen local assembly (CKD) and technology transfer rather than relying on fully imported (CBU) models.
Recent policies include capping domestic sales for new foreign entrants, enforcing high export quotas (e.g., 80 percent for new plants), and raising minimum import prices for CBU EVs.
