Wanli Tire and Berjaya Plan RM1.3bn Selangor Tyre Plant

Wanli Tire is set to add Malaysia to its Southeast Asian manufacturing footprint through a joint venture with Berjaya Property Berhad. The RM1.3 billion project in Bukit Tagar, Hulu Selangor, will add planned truck, bus and passenger car tyre capacity, strengthening Wanli’s regional production base after the opening of its Cambodia plant.

A second Southeast Asian base

The joint venture brings together Wanli subsidiary Trusmax Investment Co. Ltd. and Berjaya Property’s wholly owned Alam Baiduri Sdn. Bhd. Under the agreement, Trusmax will hold 70% of the new company, with Alam Baiduri taking the remaining 30%.

The project will be developed on about 67.9 acres in Bukit Tagar, Selangor. Local reporting states that the site will include 16 purpose-built industrial and support facilities, with total investment estimated at around RM1.3 billion.

The venture is expected to cover tyre research and development, product design, manufacturing, sales, related automotive components and after-sales services. Berjaya Property has framed the deal as a diversification move into automotive tyre manufacturing, rather than a conventional property development project.

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Capacity across commercial and consumer tyres

Upon full commissioning, the Malaysian plant is expected to reach annual capacity of 1.2 million truck and bus radial tyres and five million passenger car radial tyres. That gives the project relevance for both commercial vehicle supply and the consumer replacement market.

Wanli Tire chairman Cao Xiandong said the partnership gave the company confidence in its Malaysian manufacturing base, adding that support from China and Malaysia reinforced Wanli’s “long-term commitment” to the country.

For tyre wholesalers, fleet suppliers and distributors, the long-term impact will depend on the factory’s product mix, quality positioning and export allocation. The combination of TBR and PCR capacity makes the project wider in scope than a passenger car tyre-only investment.

Cambodia opening adds context

The Malaysia plan follows Wanli’s Cambodia investment in Bavet, Svay Rieng province. Wanli broke ground on the Cambodia facility on 12 January 2025 and formally opened the plant one year later, on 12 January 2026.

Wanli’s own website lists the Cambodia Phase I opening ceremony among its latest company news. The company describes itself as a tyre manufacturer covering research and development, production, sales and services, with passenger car and truck and bus tyre brands in its portfolio.

Together, the Cambodia and Malaysia projects point to a broader Southeast Asian platform. Cambodia gives Wanli a production base in a special economic zone close to regional trade routes, while Malaysia adds automotive supply chain infrastructure, logistics links and skilled industrial labour.

Why the deal matters

Wanli’s Malaysian investment comes as tyre manufacturers continue to reassess where capacity should sit in relation to export markets, logistics risk, trade exposure and customer expectations. For Chinese tyre makers, Southeast Asia offers both manufacturing scale and regional market access.

For Malaysia, the project supports efforts to attract higher-value automotive supply chain investment. Local reporting says the plant is expected to create around 1,350 jobs, including production, technical and management roles.

The more important trade signal is the pace of Wanli’s overseas expansion. Within months of opening its Cambodia operation, the company has moved to formalise another Southeast Asian manufacturing base. That suggests the region is becoming a strategic production network in its own right, not only a low-cost manufacturing alternative.

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Tagged with: Wanli Tire, Berjaya Property, Malaysia tyre plant, Hulu Selangor, Bukit Tagar, tyre manufacturing, Southeast Asia tyre production, PCR tyres, TBR tyres, Chinese tyre manufacturers, manufacturing investment, tyre supply chain

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