KUALA LUMPUR (CU)_As many countries across the world continued to battle the COVID-19 pandemic last year, several South Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand in particular, managed to avoid the worst of the global health crisis. However, the region, which serves as a manufacturing hub for intermediate goods, is now seeing a rapid increase in infections.
Over the past few weeks Malaysia has been reporting more than 6,000 cases each day, in stark contrast to the average of 50 – 60 daily infections reported during the same time last year. As a result, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced a “total lockdown” on 1 June, shutting down most industries until 14 June. Although steelmakers and auto manufacturers, who make a significant contribution to the economy, are permitted to continue operating, however, only 10 per cent of their workforce may report to work. Therefore, some of the largest carmakers in the country have decided to halt production on account of the regulations.
Malaysia is one of Honda’s largest production hubs in the region, with about 300,000 two-wheeled vehicles and 100,000 four-wheeled vehicles being manufactured each year. The automaker, along with Toyota, who manufactured about 50,000 vehicles in Malaysia last year, has decided to…
