It’s official – A joint statement by Groupe PSA, Berjaya Corporation, and Bermaz Auto earlier today has confirmed that the sole distributorship of the Peugeot brand in Malaysia has been awarded to a newly incorporated company, Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd (BAASB).
The new company is a joint venture between Berjaya Corporation and Bermaz Auto, which hold 51% and 20% stake respectively; the remaining shareholders were not disclosed in the statement.
Aside from being awarded sole distributorship to Peugeot, Berjaya and Bermaz Auto’s JV company BAASB will also gain the rights to aftersales and spare parts distribution for Peugeot, Citroen, and DS Automobiles in Malaysia. This announcement suggests that the two latter marques are being discontinued in the country, though owners can still seek aftersales support from the new company.
The move will help the French Conglomerate continue Peugeot’s growth strategy in the country and region, with Malaysia remaining as the regional export hub for South East Asia. Groupe PSA South East Asia Senior Vice President, Laurence Noel added that the company is currently planning to introduce the all-new Peugeot 2008 in Malaysia in the near future.
“We aim to continuously revolutionize the customer experience together with our new partner, BAASB and underscore our commitment to our customers through excellent sales and aftersales service,” she added.
BerjayaCorp Chief Executive Officer Datuk Sri Robin Tan Yeong Chin added, “This new collaboration will complement our group’s existing automotive business, namely HR Owen and Berjaya China Motor. We believe this collaboration between BerjayaCorp, Bermaz and Groupe PSA will bring positive synergistic benefits to all parties.”
Bermaz Auto Executive Chairman, Dato’ Sri Ben Yeoh said, “We are honoured that Groupe PSA and BerjayaCorp recognise Bermaz Group’s capabilities and expertise in the automobile industry and is delighted to participate in this new collaboration, which is expected to contribute positively to our future earnings base.”
The news comes after previous reports on Naza’s intention to offload its automotive brands as it continues to realign its business plans. The Peugeot brand was previously represented by Naza’s subsidiary Nasim, while Citroen and DS were distributed by Naza Euro Motors.
As of the time of writing, Kia Motor’s fate in the country is still unclear, although it is believed that Bermaz Auto is the current frontrunner pitched to takeover the business.
