RAWANG (July 6): Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) sold 127,343 vehicles in the first six months of 2022 (1H22), a 30% jump from 97,290 units in the same period last year, as demand for vehicles surged ahead of the sales tax exemption deadline of June 30. Indeed, a staggering total 25,100 vehicles were booked on the last day itself.

"There was a significant rush in vehicle bookings especially when the government extended the registration period to March 31, 2023, and we thank Malaysians for choosing Perodua as their brand of choice," Perodua president and chief executive officer Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad said at a press conference. "This is unprecedented and a testament to the growth potential of Malaysia's automotive industry given the right incentive."

The most popular model so far this year has been the Perodua Myvi with 38,039 units registered, followed by the Perodua Axia (29,183) and the Perodua Bezza at 28,719 units.

"We sincerely thank the government for extending the delivery deadline to March 31, 2023 as we needed that grace period to meet the demand so far," Zainal said.

The other key factor contributing to the strong performance in 1H22 was the low registration of vehicles in June last year due to the second nationwide lockdown to stem Covid-19 infection cases.

Perodua sold 21,164 units for the month of June this year, a significant increase from 1,009 units sold during the same period last year, which Zainal attributed also to better parts supply.

On a month-on-month (m-o-m) comparison, Perodua's sales performance increased by 10.7% from 18,901 units registered in May 2022.

Zainal, cautioned that skilled labour and parts shortages continue to be an issue and requested customers to understand that delivery could be delayed.

"We sincerely apologise for the long wait and are doing everything in our power to further improve production for the benefit of our customers," he said, adding Perodua is working closely with its suppliers, taking measures including installing its staff at suppliers' premises to ensure the supply of parts.

"Continuous communication with suppliers and partners is ongoing to find alternative components," he added.

Despite these issues, Perodua is confident of achieving its full-year sales target of 247,800 units.

Perodua missed its car sales target of 240,000 units last year when it only sold 190,291 units as the Covid-19 pandemic, the semiconductor chip supply disruptions and floods adversely affected production.