MASASINAR AT MAIE TO TARGET JAPANESE OPERATIONS IN OTHER COUNTRIES

YOKOHAMA, May 19 (Bernama) -- Many automotive companies participating in the
ongoing Malaysian Automotive Industry Exhibition (MAIE) here want to penetrate
the Japanese market for their products but Bumiputera company, Masasinar
Holdings Sdn Bhd, wants to use this land of the rising sun as a springboard to
target Japanese operations in other countries.

President and Chief Executive Officer Mohd Reduan Haji Abdul Rahim
said the Tier-Two stamping parts company was aiming to supply components to
Japanese automotive operations in Thailand and Indonesia.

"We want to show what we can offer in Malaysia," he said, adding that
Masasinar would stand out as it was an efficient cost effective producer against
the backdrop of spiralling spare part component cost in Japan.

Mohd Reduan also said Japanese companies prefered their own suppliers but
they must change their mindset or risk being left behind and remain in their own
bubble economy.

"Japan should be more open now and share their technology (with other
countries)," he said, adding that Masasinar recently acquired the TS16949 and
ISO9001 Quality Management System (QMS) which qualified the company to export
overseas.

The three-day MAIE, which will end Friday, is being held concurrently with
the Automotive Engineering Exposition.

Masasinar, with an average annual turnover of between RM6 million and RM7
million (US$1=RM3.03), supplies 95 per cent of its products to national car
manufacturer, Proton, Tier-One suppliers and Perodua. The remaining five per
cent is exported.

"We hope to step up exports to 30 per cent," he added.

Masasinar also supplies non-automotive components to Panasonic and companies
in the construction sector from its Klang plant which employs 80 people.