KUALA LUMPUR: Sales of motorcycles plunged 3.9% in the first three month of the year, says Datuk Wee Hong, president of Malaysia Motorcycle and Scooter Dealers Association (MMSDA).

A total of 144,059 motorcycles were sold in the first three months of this year, a drop of 56,711 compared to 200,770 for the same period last year.

In 2021, a total of 614,935 motorcycles were registered, a record number despite the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.

Speaking at the 2022 MMSDA annual general meeting, he said the highest number of registration, 86,750, was recorded in March.

The record number of registration in March was believed to be related to the government allowing Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) contributors to withdraw from their accounts.

Meanwhile, the high registration number of motorcycles in December last year at 78,371 was believed to be related to the expiry of tax exemption for locally assembled motorcycles which ended on December 31, 2021.

Many bought motorcycles before the expiry of the tax exemption, he explained.