The first steps by the East Coast Economic Region Development Council to develop the recreational vehicle industry in Malaysia has begun with the awarding of the first vehicle type approval to German RV maker Knaus Tabbert for two of its caravans.
Aside from easing the financing and insurance aspects for caravans, the certification will also pave the way for what ECERDC hopes will eventually be local assembly of these vehicle types and the establishment of the country as the RV hub in the region, with exports very much in mind. “The type approval for RV to Knaus Tabbert marks a new milestone for ECERDC as it will attract more investments into this sector and spur the RV industry in Malaysia. This will eventually bring in the supply chain for the production of RV parts in the future and create employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for locals, especially in the ECER region,” Baidzawi said.
Although no specific timeframe for this was presented, the first Knaus caravans to make their way here will be CBU units, but the aim is to work towards semi-knocked down assembly and, if there is enough market demand, CKD operations.