Selangor Chief Minister Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari has slammed an Opposition MP for misrepresenting the facts around the announced closing of Goodyear Malaysia’s manufacturing plant in Shah Alam by the end of the year.
The shutdown comes following the closure of the global tyremaker’s factory in Akron, Ohio, the United States, that laid off some 500 workers in January of last year dur to what the company said was a restructuring drive that took effect in September 2023 that led to job loss in other regions as well.
Amirudin said “The restructuring was necessary as they were unable to compete with its rivals, like Bridgestone.
The company also forecasted total pre-tax charges of between US$210 million (RM988.1 million) and US$230 million (RM1.08 billion) by 2025 due to the restructuring.
Earlier, it was reported based on a widely circulated internal memo on social media platforms citing Goodyear Asia Pacific president Nathaniel Madarang as saying the Shah Alam factory closure was part of the company’s transformation programme to streamline its operations.
The factory which has been in operational since 1972 in Shah Alam will impact some 550 of its employees.
Opposition MP Wan Fayhsal had also cited former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz’s statement against the Federal government, blaming it for the closure of the 52-year-old manufacturing plant.
His remarks came after he criticised the Federal administration’s performance in handling the ringgit’s decline, to which Amirudin defended the present-day government’s economic performance, pointing out that Malaysia is currently recovering.
“I acknowledge his point of view regarding the ringgit. “But based on two briefing sessions I attended with banking institutions, they estimated the ringgit could appreciate to between RM4.40 and RM4.20 against the dollar by the end of the year,” he said.
Amirudin added that recent trends have also indicated a strengthening of the ringgit, with its value reaching its highest point between February 20 and today before dropping to RM4.70.
This development underscores the need for the Federal government to take proactive measures to address the matter, alongside maintaining the current low overnight policy rate (OPR) at 3 per cent.
Efforts to curb inflation have proven successful, contributing to a reduction in the inflation rate.
“He (Ahmad Fayhsal) may not have lied (about his statement), but he appears to be manipulating it (putar belit) within the current situation to create a (negative) perception to tarnish the government, which we must counter,” he said.
