Marques suspend production over lockdown

Toyota and Honda are stopping production at their factories in Malaysia after the country introduced a two-week lockdown to help contain the spread of Covid-19.

The automotive industry there is required to keep the number of staff who report to work at 10 per cent or less during the government’s “total lockdown” that is being enforced from June 1 to 14.

However, the Japanese carmakers have opted to completely shut down their plants during that period. 

Toyota produced about 51,000 vehicles in Malaysia last year and a company spokeswoman says it has not decided when production will resume at its two plants in Selangor State.

The company’s subsidiary Daihatsu Motor churned out about 220,000 compact cars in 2020 and will stop manufacturing throughout the lockdown.

Honda’s car factory in Malacca State has the capacity to produce 100,000 units annually, while its motorcycle plant in Penang State can make 300,000 vehicles. A spokesman says both sites are expected to resume operations from June 15.

Toyota New Zealand and Honda New Zealand say they will be unaffected by the measures as neither company sources vehicles from Malaysia, with most of the cars produced there intended for the local market.