Proton Opens New Regional Parts Centre in Kuching

National automaker Proton has set up a new Regional Parts Centre (RPC) in Kuching, Sarawak, in order to cope with growing demands in the regional East Malaysian market. The 28,000 sq ft facility triple folds its predecessor’s size, functioning as the regional hub for Proton’s after-sale parts and components distribution.

Serving Sabah, Sarawak, as well as Labuan, the new RPC is capable of storing up to six containers to supplement Proton’s increased market share in East Malaysia. Roslan Abdullah, Proton’s Deputy CEO said the new RPC “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”, added Roslan Abdullah.

The growing demands for Proton in East Malaysia since 2019 stems from the launches of Proton’s X-series SUV crossovers. From 2018 to 2021, the region’s total sales recorded an astounding 120% rise, with this year’s sales number poised to follow suit. As of Oct 2022, a total of 115,366 Protons were delivered so far nationwide.

Proton’s X-series SUVs currently consist of the X70 C-segment SUV and the smaller X50. Both models recorded more than 50,000 units delivered so far this year, making Proton the most popular SUV crossover brand in Malaysia.

As for the East Malaysian market, the iconic Proton Saga remains the marque’s best-seller in the region, followed closely by the X50. 8,692 units of Proton Saga were sold in said market last year, with the runner-up X50 recorded a total of 2,934 units sold.

“Based on the current booking trend, we forecast sales to exceed 10,000 (Saga) and 4,200 (X50) units respectively,” added Roslan.