UMPSA-Feytech sign MoU to advance national automotive ecosystem

KUALA LUMPUR, 22 June 2026 – Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) continues to strengthen its role as a leader in national automotive talent development and innovation by representing the Consortium Automotive of Malaysian Universities (CAuto) at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Exchange Ceremony with Feytech Sdn. Bhd., held at the Banquet Hall, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) Headquarters, Kuala Lumpur.

The ceremony saw the UMPSA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ts. Dr. Yatimah Alias, representing CAuto, exchange the MoU documents with the Chief Executive Officer of Feytech Sdn. Bhd., Connie Go, witnessed by MIDA Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid.

The strategic collaboration is expected to serve as a catalyst for more sustainable human capital development, automotive research, and innovation by combining academic expertise and industry experience in addressing the transformation of the global automotive sector, which is now driven by electrification, automation, and digital technology.

The ceremony was also attended by leaders from the national automotive and manufacturing industries, including Executive Chairman of Bermaz Auto Berhad, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Ben Yeoh; Director of Mazda Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Dato’ Zahrul Nizam Abd Samad; President and Group Chief Executive Officer of UMW Corporation Sdn. Bhd., Datuk Syed Hisham Syed Wazir; Director of the Industry Development Division, MITI, Aida Syukrena; President of MACPMA, Chin Jit Sin; Chief Executive Officer of Advance Automotive Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., Yang Chor Seng; and supplier, Lu Wan Li.

According to Professor Ts. Dr. Yatimah, the collaboration not only strengthens university-industry relations but also opens up wider opportunities for students to gain real industry experience aligned with current labour market needs.

“The collaboration between CAuto and Feytech is a strategic step towards ensuring that higher education institutions (HEIs) remain relevant in meeting the increasingly complex and dynamic needs of the automotive industry.

“Through this collaboration, students will gain exposure to real industry environments through industrial training, work-based learning, the use of industry equipment and software, as well as competitive employment opportunities upon graduation.

“At the same time, this collaboration also opens opportunities for research development, technological innovation, and knowledge transfer that can contribute to the competitiveness of the national automotive industry while supporting Malaysia’s highly skilled talent development agenda,” she said.

She also emphasised that UMPSA, as the lead university of CAuto, is committed to advancing the national automotive ecosystem through a collaborative approach involving universities, industry, and government agencies.
Meanwhile, Connie Go said the collaboration between Feytech and CAuto represents the company’s long-term investment in developing local talent capable of meeting the needs of the future automotive industry.

“Feytech has always believed that human capital development is the foundation of sustainable industry growth.

“Through our collaboration with CAuto, led by UMPSA, we have the opportunity to directly share industry experience and expertise with students and academics.

“We hope this collaboration will produce graduates who not only possess strong theoretical knowledge but also understand the realities of industry operations, the latest technologies, and the actual needs of the automotive sector.

“In addition to providing opportunities for industrial training and work-based learning, this collaboration also has the potential to produce innovative solutions through joint research that can enhance the competitiveness of Malaysia’s automotive industry globally,” she said.

Feytech is one of the key players in the local automotive industry, having operated for more than two decades and currently involved in the manufacture of automotive components and vehicle seating systems for various local and international automotive brands, including Proton, Peugeot, Chery, and Kia.

CAuto, meanwhile, is a national initiative approved by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in 2025, bringing together five public universities (UA) with strengths in the automotive field, with UMPSA as the lead university alongside Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).

Through the Malaysia Research and Innovation Initiative (MRI3) Automotive platform led by CAuto, university-industry collaboration is developed around several key components, including talent development, research and innovation, reskilling and upskilling programmes, shared use of laboratory facilities, and the development of future automotive technologies.

Under the collaboration, students from CAuto member universities will have opportunities to undertake industrial training and work-based learning at Feytech, use actual equipment and software employed in the industry, receive support for final-year projects, and potentially secure employment with competitive salaries upon graduation.

In addition to talent development, both parties will explore collaboration in curriculum development, applied research, technological innovation, and product development that can enhance the competitiveness of the national automotive industry.

During the discussion session following the MoU ceremony, university and industry representatives also discussed the direction of MRI3 Automotive, focusing on expanding industry membership, laboratory and innovation hub sharing, policy development related to autonomous vehicles, the electric vehicle (EV) battery circular economy, automotive cybersecurity, and the development of microcredential and professional certification programmes.

Among the strategic facilities highlighted were the Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) Laboratory and Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory at the UMPSA Automotive Engineering Centre, which have the potential to be jointly utilised by universities and industry for teaching, training, research, and automotive technology testing.

Meanwhile, Datuk Sikh Shamsul said in his speech that the collaboration between Feytech and CAuto is an excellent example of how industry experience and academic capabilities can be combined to develop talent, strengthen innovation, and enhance the competitiveness of the national automotive industry.

According to him, Malaysia’s automotive sector currently comprises more than 27 vehicle manufacturers, more than 640 component and parts manufacturers, and more than 60,000 automotive aftermarket-related businesses, requiring a highly skilled workforce to ensure the industry’s sustainability and future growth.

The signing of the MoU between CAuto and Feytech demonstrates UMPSA’s continued commitment to leading the university-industry collaboration agenda, which not only benefits students and researchers but also contributes to the development of a more resilient, high-technology, and future-oriented national automotive industry.

By: Naqiah Puaad, Centre for Corporate Communications
Translation by: Ts. Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press