SIME DARBY KEEN ON 3RD CAR PROJECT
Group banks on automotive arm’s expertise in vehicle, engine assembly
SIME Darby Bhd is keen to participate in the third national car project via its automotive arm, Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd, and is banking on its expertise in assembling vehicles and engines.
Group chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Jeffri Salim Davidson said the company is keeping a close watch on the third national car project.
“We are in the car business so we are looking at the oppor- tunity. We do not have the technology to build cars, so we would not be involved in car manufacturing per se but we want to get involved somehow. We know how to assemble cars and we do quite a good job in Kulim,” he said after Sime Darby’s annual general meeting, here, yesterday.
Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Dr Ong Kian Ming had said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s third national car concept would likely materialise in the form of energy-efficient vehicles (EEVs).
He said Dr Mahathir spoke of having an Asean car in collaboration with Indonesia, as well as the opportunity to explore the production of electric cars and EEVs with other players.
NanoMalaysia Bhd CEO Dr Rezal Khairi Ahmad said the third national car project would have to go electric for it to be viable. Sime Darby is primarily a luxury marque player representing BMW, Rolls-Royce, Porsche and Jaguar Land Rover, among others.
In May, Sime Darby Motors, via wholly-owned subsidiary Sime Darby Auto Engineering Sdn Bhd, opened a BMW engine assembly plant in Kulim, Kedah.
The RM132 million plant, with a built-up of 24,000 square metres, has the capacity to assemble 10,000 engines yearly for BMW vehicles and is the second BMW engine assembly plant in Southeast Asia after Thailand.
Jeffri said the company is optimistic about its automotive division pending the release of the new BMW 3 series.