BYD Malaysia today announced Inokom Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (Inokom), a subsidiary of Sime Motors based in Kulim, Kedah, as its local assembly partner, marking an important step in BYD Malaysia’s plans to locally assemble completely knocked-down (CKD) vehicles in Malaysia.
The announcement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at BYD’s global headquarters in Shenzhen, China, formalising the collaboration between both parties.
BYD Malaysia appointed Inokom following an assessment of the local market and available manufacturing capabilities. Inokom’s vehicle assembly operations, experienced workforce and existing infrastructure provide a practical foundation for BYD Malaysia to advance its local assembly plans by building on Malaysia’s existing automotive capabilities.
“Local assembly is an important part of BYD’s long-term commitment to Malaysia. Partnering with Sime to assemble at Inokom allows us to build on established automotive manufacturing capabilities as we progress our local assembly plans. We aim to bring BYD’s expertise in new energy vehicles and battery technologies closer to the Malaysian market while contributing to the continued development of the local automotive industry.
“This partnership marks another step in BYD’s growth in Malaysia alongside BYD Sime Motors. We remain focused on developing our local presence and exploring opportunities to deepen our investment in Malaysia through collaboration with local industry partners,” said Jacob Ma, Managing Director of BYD Malaysia.
“BYD’s decision to partner with Sime reflects the strength of Malaysia’s automotive manufacturing capabilities and the expertise we have developed over the years. Our experience in vehicle assembly, supported by an established workforce and local supply chain, provides a strong foundation for this collaboration.
“Beyond vehicle assembly, partnerships such as this create opportunities to strengthen Malaysia’s automotive ecosystem, support local businesses and develop capabilities that can contribute to the industry’s long-term growth. We look forward to working with BYD Malaysia to build on these strengths and create greater value for Malaysia’s automotive sector,” said Dato’ Jeffri Salim Davidson, Group Chief Executive Officer of Sime.
The MoU was signed by Liu Xueliang, Vice President of BYD and General Manager of BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division, and Dato’ Jeffri Salim Davidson, Group Chief Executive Officer of Sime. The signing was witnessed by representatives including Jacob Ma, Managing Director of BYD Malaysia, and Jeffrey Gan, Managing Director of Southeast Asia, Sime Motors.
The partnership marks an important step in BYD Malaysia’s plans to establish local vehicle assembly operations, building on existing manufacturing capabilities and strengthening its integration with Malaysia’s automotive industry. Further details on the local assembly programme will be shared in due course.