It’s been a while since Malaysians have been able to see the new vehicle sales data by models. This is due to the Competition Act which came into effect in 2012 made the sharing and publication of sales data (specifically model sales data) an offence. The Act, among other things, is intended to prevent price-fixing. The Competition Commission also believes that sharing of data by car companies is ‘an act of collusion’ and could result in prices of parts going up.

The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), which had been compiling industry data since the 1960s and sharing it with its members as well as the public, appealed for exemption as the model sales data which is historical in nature was needed for businesses to understand trends in the market. However, the Competition Commission rejected the appeal and allowed only the sharing and publication of sales data by brand and segment (SUV, commercial vehicle, MPV, etc). Sales data by model can only be shared and distributed in the public domain after 12 months so in June 2019, we can see the data for June 2018.

While the data is one year out of date, it may still be of interest to some and certainly confirm claims of being ‘bestselling model in the segment’ which some companies make. Chips Yap, who has been doing such charts for the past 40+ years of his career, has compiled the Top 30 bestsellers in the country based on new vehicle sales data from January to June 2018. Remember, this is 2018 data so don’t ask why there is no Proton X70!

At this time, we’re not sure if we want to do this chart every month, quarterly or in another 6 months when we can see the bestsellers for the whole of 2018. Your comments will guide us in making the decision.