Malaysia's automotive manufacturing base took a concrete step forward this week. EP Manufacturing Berhad (EPMB) has officially launched a new chassis component assembly facility in Tanjong Malim, operated through Peps Sanly JV — a joint venture between EPMB and Sanly Auto Parts Co, a Chinese metalworks, assembly, and brake system specialist. Located within the Automotive High Technology Valley (AHTV) in Tanjong Malim, the facility was built with an investment of RM9.5 million on a 9,909 square metre site, and is capable of producing up to 480,000 car sets a year, or 40,000 a month.

The plant, which began operations in October 2025, will localise the manufacturing of front corner modules, subframe modules, and rear axle module assemblies — core chassis components — for several Proton models, including the AMA01 (Saga), Persona, and Iriz, as well as the upcoming AMA02 (Saga Cross) and AMA05 MPV. EPMB executive chairman Hamidon Abdullah described the venture as strengthening EPMB's supply chain by drawing on Sanly China's manufacturing expertise and cost structure, calling it a way to "support Proton with enhanced cost efficiency and quality assurance."

Why a Chassis Component Facility Matters More Than It Sounds

Announcements about new car models tend to dominate automotive headlines, but the manufacturing capacity behind those cars is just as consequential for the industry — arguably more so for anyone whose business depends on parts availability rather than new-car sales. Front corner modules, subframes, and rear axle assemblies are structural chassis components: the parts that locate the suspension, steering, and driveline geometry relative to the vehicle body. When one of these modules is out of specification, everything mounted to it — control arms, ball joints, stabilizer links, wheel hubs — inherits that inaccuracy.

A dedicated local facility for this category of part, backed by a partner with established brake-system and metalworks expertise, is a sign that Malaysia's automotive supply chain is deepening rather than simply assembling components sourced entirely from elsewhere. That has knock-on implications well beyond Proton's own model lineup.

What Localised Chassis Component Manufacturing Means for the Aftermarket

For distributors, workshops, and parts buyers, growth in local chassis-component manufacturing capacity is worth watching for a few reasons:

• Shorter, more resilient supply chains. Components produced closer to the point of vehicle assembly are less exposed to the shipping delays and currency swings that affect fully imported parts.
• Deeper local engineering know-how. A joint venture that brings in an established international metalworks and brake-system partner builds domestic capability in precision chassis manufacturing — expertise that tends to spread through the wider local supply base over time.
• A growing base of vehicles needing matched replacement parts. Every Proton model built on these new modules will eventually need replacement suspension, steering, and chassis components once it leaves warranty — and correct-fit aftermarket parts depend on accurate knowledge of the original component geometry.
• Momentum for the broader parts ecosystem. A stronger domestic manufacturing base for structural components tends to support growth in the surrounding ecosystem of related parts — bushings, ball joints, links, and mounts — that connect to those structures.

Chassis Components Are a System, Not a Single Part

The EPMB-Sanly facility is a useful illustration of a principle that applies just as much in the aftermarket as it does on the assembly line: chassis-related parts function as an interconnected system rather than standalone items. A front corner module has to work correctly with the control arm, ball joint, and steering knuckle it locates. A subframe has to hold its geometry so that alignment settings stay accurate over the vehicle's life. A rear axle module has to maintain consistent wheel tracking regardless of load.

This is the same logic behind treating suspension and steering as one connected ecosystem rather than a shopping list of individual parts. A control arm built around a high-strength arm, premium rubber bushing, and precision ball joint only performs as intended if all three elements are engineered to work together — a precision-polished ball stud, a sealed dust boot, and a corrosion-resistant housing all have to hold up under the same load and road conditions as the rest of the chassis around them.

What It Means for Malaysia's Parts Industry Going Forward

Investments like EPMB's Tanjong Malim facility reflect a broader trend: Malaysia's automotive parts manufacturing base is being built out with genuine engineering capability, not just assembly volume. Ninety percent of a facility's practical value to the wider industry rarely shows up in the launch-day headline — it shows up years later, in whether local workshops can source correctly specified replacement parts for vehicles built on modules like these, without waiting on lengthy imports or relying on generic, non-vehicle-specific substitutes. A joint venture that brings established international metalworks and brake-system expertise into a Malaysian plant raises the technical bar for the whole domestic supply chain, not just for the models it directly supplies.

For the aftermarket segment specifically, that trend supports a healthier, more technically capable domestic supply chain over the medium term — one that Malaysian workshops and distributors will increasingly draw on as more locally built vehicles reach their replacement-parts years. It is also a reminder that parts manufacturing capability and aftermarket parts quality are connected, even when they sit at different points in a vehicle's life cycle: the same precision that goes into building a front corner module on the assembly line is what a replacement control arm or ball joint needs to match years later, once the original part has worn out.

SAIKO has supplied quality-controlled automotive replacement parts since 2007, with coverage for more than 400 vehicle models through a nationwide dealer network — built on the same principle behind this week's news: that chassis, suspension, and steering components need to be engineered and manufactured as a coherent system, not a collection of interchangeable pieces. As Malaysia's local parts manufacturing base continues to grow, that systems-first approach becomes more relevant, not less.

To learn more about SAIKO's range of suspension and steering components, visit saiko.com.my