Malaysia has had motorshows since the late 1970s when the Malaysian Motor Trader Association, as today’s Malaysian Automotive Association was known then, was involved in the first KL International Motor Show (KLIMS). The event was held at the end of 1977 at Changkat Pavilion where the 118-storey Menara 118 tower stands today.
Thereafter, the association, which has members mainly from the car companies, held KLIMS every few years. With each event, the number of participants grew larger and eventually, the motorshow was venue was moved to the Putra World Trade Centre where it would remain for many years before a switch to MITEC (Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre) in 2018. Last year, KLIMS was also renamed the KL International Mobility Show, broadening its scope.
MARii starts its motorshows in 2016
Meanwhile, in 2016, the Malaysian Automotive Institute, the predecessor of today’s Malaysia Automotive Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii), also began an annual motorshow in 2016. This had a different ‘flavour’ from KLIMS as it was more of a showcase of products in the market whereas KLIMS had always been a ‘branding’ event along the lines of the major global motorshows in Japan, Geneva, Frankfurt and Paris.
Last year, both organisations held their events and along with the International and the Tokyo Auto Salon, there were four motorshows during the year. Three were held at MITEC while MARii’s Malaysia Auto Show (MAS) was held at MAEPS in Serdang, outside Kuala Lumpur.
Now the MAA and MARii have come together to consolidate their respective events and take a more strategic approach to reflect the latest advancements in the industry while optimizing resources and providing industry stakeholders with greater flexibility to plan and prepare.
Hosting in alternate years
The collaboration will start an alternate-year hosting schedule (initially from 2025 to 2028), where MARii will have MAS in 2025, followed by KLIMS in 2026 and then MAS again in 2027 and KLIMS in 2028.
“This collaboration represents a transformative milestone for Malaysia’s automotive industry,” said Azrul Reza Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of MARii. “By aligning the strengths of MARii and MAA, we are creating a unified, strategic approach to organizing automotive exhibitions. The alternate-year framework enables us to focus our resources and innovation, ensuring that both MAS and KLIMS become flagship events that highlight Malaysia’s leadership in automotive advancements, policy alignment, and sustainable growth.”
“We are thrilled to join forces with MARii to create an even more dynamic experience for all stakeholders. This collaboration will not only assist the industry players by not burdening them to participate in two auto shows a year previously, but it also increases the scope and impact of our motorshows,” said MAA’s President, Mohd. Shamsor Mohd. Zain.
Over 183,000 visitors attended KL International Mobility Show