BYD has scrapped Tanjung Malim CKD plant plan
BYD Malaysia has canceled plans to build a vehicle assembly plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak, due to stringent government export and pricing requirements. Despite this, the company remains committed to local assembly and is currently negotiating alternative arrangements within the Malaysian automotive ecosystem.
Why it matters
The decision highlights the challenges multinational EV manufacturers face when navigating local industrial policies and export-oriented mandates in Southeast Asia.
BURSA SGX Home Highlight Make The Edge Malaysia your preferred source on Google KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 11): BYD Malaysia has dropped plans to build a vehicle assembly plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak, but remains committed to starting local completely knocked-down (CKD) assembly operations, according to a Malay-language daily.
The Edge Weekly , in its March 30-April 5, 2026 edition, reported that BYD may reconsider its Tanjung Malim plans after terms set by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) called for up to 80% of cars produced in Tanjung Malim to be exported, while the remaining 20% of production would need to be priced above RM200,000 per unit. These conditions were intended to support the survival of the local automotive industry.
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