General : MARA Eyes RM1 Bln sales From Bumiputera Auto Sector Next Year

The Malaysian government's Mara agency aims to achieve sales of RM1 billion or more from Bumiputera automotive entrepreneurs in the coming year. This goal is based on the agency's current performance, with 534 automotive entrepreneurs generating sales exceeding RM660 million this year alone. Mara chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, who inaugurated the pre-launch of Mara Automotive Ecosystem (Matec) 2026 in Busana Mara, stated that cooperation with strategic partners would be crucial to realizing the target.

Matec 2026, set to take place in Bukit Jalil from November 27 to 29, serves as a platform to create connections, generate opportunities, and strengthen an ecosystem involving entrepreneurs, industry players, TVET institutions, technology providers, financial institutions, government agencies, and the market. Asyraf emphasized that expanding Bumiputera participation and ownership in the automotive sector should extend beyond merely producing skilled workers to fostering them into entrepreneurs and business owners.

The agency's educational institutions, of which 270 focus on TVET, play a significant role in ensuring a steady supply of trained workers for the automotive sector. Almost all GiatMara branches nationwide offer automotive-related programs, ranging from basic skills to high-technology fields such as electric vehicles (EVs). Asyraf highlighted that automotive-related fields are among the most popular choices among Bumiputera students.

Mara cannot achieve its objectives independently and must foster strategic cooperation with industry partners to expand Bumiputera participation across various segments of the automotive sector, particularly in motoring and automotive entrepreneurship.