KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 ― Proton Holdings Bhd has benefited from the rebound in car sales during the recovery movement control order (RMCO) in June, with sales of Malaysian automotive brands estimated to account for 66.4 per cent of the market this month.

The incentives from the government and pent-up demand pushed total industry volume (TIV) numbers ahead of where they were last year with 9,623 units sold, and the company posted its second best sales month this year as three models led sales in their respective segments.

"The number also represents a 69.5 per cent growth over May 2020 and a 26.3 per cent increase over the same month last year when the world was not affected by a pandemic.

Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said Proton’s sales in the first full month of business since February have been encouraging. ― Picture courtesy of Proton Holdings Berhad

"With a year-to-date (YTD) market share figure of 21.2 per cent, Proton’s results for the first half of 2020 show a 6.5 per cent increase against the same time period last year and overall volume gap versus 2019 has also shrunk to just 14.6 per cent, a remarkable achievement that is nearly three times better than the best rival brand,” said Proton in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said Proton’s sales in the first full month of business since February have been encouraging.

"While we remain cautiously optimistic for the second half of this year, the demand for Malaysian cars in general and Proton vehicles in particular points towards increased consumer confidence in our products.

"This interest has also been buoyed by the recently announced sales tax holiday, which in our opinion has stimulated demand,” he said. ― Bernama