Modenas to open R&D centre outside Malaysia.Read the full news from Bernama below.

MODENAS PLANS FOR R&D CENTRE OVERSEAS.

PENANG, Nov 3 — Motosikal dan Enjin Nasional Sdn Bhd (Modenas) is planning on opening a research and development centre overseas.

Disclosing this, the Chairman of the Motorcycle and Scooter Assemblers and Distribution Association of Malaysia (Masaam), Datuk Syed Mohamad Aidid Syed Murtaza, said Modenas had successfully penetrated overseas markets like Iran, Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia and Greece.

“The company is now looking to open an R&D centre outside the country to expand the brand which is a country’s pride while pushing up the country’s motorcycle industry to a higher level,” he said after officiating the Small Engine Technology Conference here on Tuesday.

He said Modenas currently had a R&D centre in Gurun and sales of its motorcycles have been very good.

Syed Mohamad Aidid, who is also President of the Federation of Asian Motorcycle Industry (FAMI), said the country’s open and streamlined automotive policy had brought about more growth for the small engine motoring industry in the country.

“Total sales of motorcycles in Malaysia has breached 500,000 units a year with RM5 billion (worth),” he said.

All the motorcycles sold in the country also have their assembling factories following the government’s introduction of the open policy.

“Ten years ago, our country was importing a lot of motorcycles from overseas including Japan. But looking ahead, the government changed the policy to be more open. Now, there are 11 motorcycle manufacturing companies, and six engine manufacturers nationwide,” he said.

On the conference and exhibition being held here, he said about 350 engineers from both international and local engine manufacturing companies including academicians had come together to share information on the small engine technology.

“This is an opportunity for local engineers to share experiences and gain new knowledge from the engineers of international automotive companies,” he said.

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