23/01/2026
Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Conferred Automotive Person of the Year 2025 at Malaysia Car of the Year Gala Dinner
Kuala Lumpur, 22 January 2026
Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, President and Chief Executive Officer of Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua), was conferred the Automotive Person of the Year (APOY) 2025 award at the Malaysia Car of the Year (MCOTY) Gala Awards Dinner held this evening.
The award was presented by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Datuk Seri Amar Fadillah Yusof, in recognition of Datuk Seri Zainal’s outstanding leadership and significant contributions to the development of Malaysia’s automotive industry.
The Automotive Person of the Year award is presented annually by the organisers of the Malaysia Car of the Year awards. Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin is the 21st recipient of the APOY since its introduction.
The APOY award recognises industry leaders who have demonstrated exemplary stewardship of their organisations and have contributed meaningfully to the advancement of the automotive sector. Under Datuk Seri Zainal’s leadership, Perodua has achieved sustained growth and strengthened its position as Malaysia’s leading automotive brand.
In 2025, Perodua recorded sales of approximately 360,000 vehicles, accounting for an estimated 43.9 per cent of Malaysia’s total industry volume of more than 800,000 vehicles. The company’s performance reflects strong consumer confidence, supported by its product quality, affordability and strong resale value in the secondary market.
Perodua also continues to play a significant role in strengthening the national automotive ecosystem. In an industry where an internal combustion engine vehicle comprises tens of thousands of components, with close to 70 per cent supplied by vendors, Perodua has consistently prioritised vendor development. Several local vendors supported by Perodua have since progressed to become international exporters of automotive components, contributing to Malaysia’s manufacturing capability and export competitiveness.
Datuk Seri Zainal’s leadership approach emphasises teamwork, stakeholder collaboration and long-term capability building. Through strong partnerships with Daihatsu Motor Co. of Japan, Perodua’s workforce, its vendor network and Malaysian consumers, the company has reinforced its role as a key pillar of the national automotive industry.
The conferral of the Automotive Person of the Year 2025 award reflects Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin’s continued commitment to industrial excellence, organisational leadership and the advancement of Malaysia’s automotive sector in line with national development objectives.
Also present at the ceremony was YB Sim Tze Tzin, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, who presented a selection of the Malaysia Car of the Year awards to the respective winners at the gala dinner. The event was also attended by Azrul Reza Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of MARii, as well as Yamin Vong, Founder of the Malaysia Car of the Year awards, underscoring the industry-wide significance of the occasion.