Malaysia's vehicle sales fall in May due to shortage of chips

Kuala Lumpur, June 21 (IANS) Malaysia's total vehicle sales fell 11.76 per cent from April to 49,603 in May due to a shortage of chips and components, according to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).

The shortage of chips and components and logistics delay disruptions continue to affect some makes, the MAA said on Monday in a statement.

It also attributed the fall to a shorter working month due to the Hari Raya festival, Xinhua news agency reported.

On a year-on-year basis, total vehicle sales in May rose 5.08 per cent, while that in the January-May period increased by 7.44 per cent.

Meanwhile, total vehicle production in May climbed 15.56 per cent year-on-year, and that in the January-May period went up 7.07 per cent.

The MAA expects sales in June to be stronger, driven by impetus from sales tax exemption incentive for consumers to buy passenger vehicles (which is due to expire by the end of June 2022) and an aggressive push for sales by car companies.

However, it said that the shortage of chips and components and supply chain disruptions will continue to affect some makes.