Local carmaker Proton has set up a new Regional Parts Centre (RPC) in Kuching to support the growing demands for the brand in East Malaysia. Ever since the launch of the Proton X70 in December 2018, total sales in East Malaysia have increased by 120% from 2018 to 2021.
Expecting a further 20% growth in year-on-year sales, the new 28,000 sq. ft. facility is necessary for Proton to serve its East Malaysian customers. The new facility has three times the storage capacity of its predecessor and will function as a parts distribution centre for aftersales parts and components for East Malaysia.
Proton Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Roslan Abdullah said, “Proton is pleased to announce our new RPC in Kuching is nearing completion. It is designed to cater to the needs of our dealers and their customers in East Malaysia and reduce the waiting time for parts in a region where logistics can be challenging. Once completed, we will have the ability to hold up to three months of stock and can even receive direct shipments of parts from overseas vendors.”
Besides its increased space and capability to handle the direct shipment of parts, the new facility is also capable of storing six containers, allowing it to receive multiple orders concurrently. It will also be able to handle increased throughput, reducing the time it takes to process and deliver orders to outlets.
RELATED: Proton exceeds 2021 sales with 2 months to spare – 115,336 cars sold in 2022
The Proton Deputy CEO also said, “We expect to see a significant improvement in waiting time for accident repairs. In addition to the three months of stocks held at the RPC, our dealers are also required to have three months of maintenance parts stock. This is an example of Proton’s efforts to continuously improve aftersales service to deliver the highest levels of customer satisfaction. We understand many may be wary, but I would like to reassure both current and future owners, parts are available for your new Proton.”
In East Malaysia, Proton’s most popular model is the Proton Saga with 8,692 units sold in 2021, followed by the Proton X50 with 2,934 units sold in 2021. Based on the current booking trend, Proton expects the Saga to exceed 10,000 units and the X50 to exceed 4,200 units for 2022.
RELATED: Proton to develop own EVs, sending 16 engineers to China for R&D training
