Malaysia Has 2nd Highest Car Ownership Rate In Asia

In Malaysian society, owning a car is very common; many homes have two or even three cars, making it practically the norm. As a result, traffic congestion is still a major issue, particularly in cities like the Klang Valley.
According to Seasia.co, Malaysia is the second-highest car-owning nation in Asia, with 535 cars per population, only surpassed by Japan.

In fact, in the first two months of 2025 alone, data from data.gov.my revealed a significant number of new private vehicle registrations, totaling 113,136 units. Perodua and Proton, as popular local brands, held the top positions with 54,627 and 20,756 registrations, respectively.



Following them were Toyota with 15,407 units and Honda with 10,866, highlighting the strong preference for personal vehicles in the country.

Malaysians have way more cars than people in nearby countries. A big reason?

According to Dr. Law Teik Hua from Universiti Putra Malaysia, it's because petrol is pretty cheap here, and we have a lot of affordable cars made locally, so owning a car is within reach for a lot of people.

“People aren’t buying cars just because they want to. They’re buying them because they feel like they have to,” he told Harian Metro.
For many, particularly in areas with inadequate public transportation, a personal vehicle is essential, not merely a luxury.

Consequently, this led to greater traffic congestion, a significant issue in high-demand areas such as Klang Valley, Penang, Johor Bahru, and Melaka.

Dr. Law pointed out that Malaysian roads often simultaneously serve motorcycles, lorries, and cars, a burden their original design was not intended to support.

Infrastructure in these areas hasn’t expanded fast enough to keep up with the increasing number of vehicles. This leads to frequent bottlenecks, especially during peak hours,” he added.


Despite the expansion of MRT and LRT lines, many areas still suffer from insufficient public transport options. Clearly, for residents of areas lacking proper facilities, public transport is often not a viable choice.

Dr. Law proposes that enhancing public transportation is crucial to solving this issue, positioning it as a primary choice rather than a secondary option. His recommendations include extending bus, MRT, and LRT services to more areas, thereby offering greater accessibility and reducing dependence on personal vehicles.

He further emphasized that we need better roads, fewer traffic jams, and more people sharing rides to cut down on traffic.


Instead of simply patching things up, he is advocating for a larger strategy: creating jobs and improving things outside of the city so that people don't concentrate in the same places.