Segambut is a sub-district and a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.From the high-end condominiums of Mont Kiara and Sri Kiara to the middle-class areas of Taman Sri Segambut and Bandar Manjalara, and the rural areas of Segambut Dalam and Kampung Sungai Penchala, the Segambut constituency has a diverse population base. Segambut once belonged to the mukim of Batu Caves before 1974, when Kuala Lumpur was still part of Selangor. Segambut is served by the train station of the same name, on the KTM Komuter line, that runs from Tanjong Malim to Port Klang, via KL Sentral and other city-centre stations. The new Istana Negara is located in this constituency, along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim (fka Jalan Duta).

 

The automotive industry in Malaysia consists of 27 vehicle producers and over 640 component manufacturers.[1] The Malaysian automotive industry is the third largest in Southeast Asia, and the 25th largest in the world, with an annual production output of over 500,000 vehicles. The automotive industry contributes 4% or RM 40 billion to Malaysia's GDP, and employs a workforce of over 700,000 throughout a nationwide ecosystem.

 

The automotive industry in Malaysia traces its origins back to the British colonial era. Ford Malaya became the first automobile assembly plant in Southeast Asia upon its establishment in Singapore in 1926. The automotive industry in post-independence Malaysia was established in 1967 to spur national industrialisation. The government offered initiatives to encourage the local assembly of vehicles and manufacturing of automobile components. In 1983, the government became directly involved in the automotive industry through the establishment of national car company Proton, followed by Perodua in 1993. Since the 2000s, the government had sought to liberalise the domestic automotive industry through free-trade agreements, privatisation and harmonisation of UN regulations.The Malaysian automotive industry is Southeast Asia's sole pioneer of indigenous car companies, namely Proton and Perodua. In 2002, Proton helped Malaysia become the 11th country in the world with the capability to fully design, engineer and manufacture cars from the ground up.[2] The Malaysian automotive industry also hosts several domestic-foreign joint venture companies, which assemble a large variety of vehicles from imported complete knock down (CKD) kits.

 

The automotive industry in Malaysia primarily serves domestic demand, and only several thousand complete built up (CBU) vehicles are exported annually.[3] Exports of Malaysian made parts and components have nonetheless grown significantly in the last decade, contributing over RM 11 billion to Malaysia's GDP in 2016. Tan Chong Motor Holdings (TCMH) currently operates two manufacturing plants in Malaysia, with a combined maximum annual capacity of 100,000 units.[76] Tan Chong Motor Assemblies (TCMA), a subsidiary of TCMH, handles all plant operations. TCMA assembles a large variety of foreign badged models from imported complete knock down (CKD) kits. The original TCMA plant in Segambut was built in 1976, and currently assembles Subaru, Mitsubishi and Renault models, in addition to various commercial vehicles.[77][78][79] The second TCMA plant in Serendah commenced operations in 2007, and assembles Nissan models exclusively.[80]

The TCMA-assembled Datsun 120Y was a best-seller in Malaysia. Tan Chong Motor has been an active player in the Malaysian automotive industry since 1957.[81] The company sold fully imported Datsun vehicles in its early years of business, but government initiatives prompted Tan Chong Motor to offer their first locally assembled Datsun models from mid-1968.[40] Sales of Datsun cars grew significantly in the 1960s, and in 1970, Datsun became the best-selling brand of car in the Malaysian market.[40][81] In mid-2003, Tan Chong Motor adopted the Renault brand in line with the Renault–Nissan Alliance.[82][83]

The Nissan Vanette became TCMA's first export model Tan Chong Motor constructed their own assembly plant at Segambut in 1976.[81] The new TCMA plant was modelled after the Nissan Zama complex, and was the nation's first to use electro-dipping (ED) technology for its painting process.[40] Nissan Japan regarded the TCMA plant as the third best foreign Nissan assembly plant in the world.[85] The TCMA plant also became the nation's first to feature an engine assembly line in December 1988.[85][86] TCMA had also pioneered women's rights in the traditionally male dominated automotive industry, with females accounting for 44% of their assembly workforce in 1989.[87][88]

TCMA exported Subaru SUVs to Thailand and Indonesia.The bulk of TCMA Segambut production historically consisted of Datsun/Nissan vehicles, but the plant has also carried out contract assembly for Subaru, Volkswagen, Audi, Peugeot and Renault models in the past.[85][89] A small number of Malaysian-assembled Mercedes-Benz models were also sent to TCMA for painting.[89] The TCMA Segambut plant has mainly catered to domestic consumption, and only a small number of vehicles were exported.[81] Presently, both Subaru XV and Forester models assembled by TCMA Segambut are exported to Thailand and Indonesia, with export volume exceeding domestic consumption.

 

Construction for an all-new TCMA assembly plant at Serendah commenced in February 2006. The new plant complements the existing Segambut facility, and incorporate more advanced manufacturing standards under the Nissan Production Way (NPW).[89] The Nissan Latio became the first model to roll off the new TCMA Serendah plant in 2007.[81] Tan Chong Motor/Nissan is one of only two domestic-foreign joint venture companies to simultaneously operate two automobile assembly plants in Malaysia.