EP Manufacturing Berhad Invests RM200 Million in New Melaka Automotive Facility

HICOM Pegoh, Alor Gajah saw the start of a new automotive facility, as EP Manufacturing Berhad (EPMB) broke ground on its first vehicle body painting plant in Melaka.

The RM200 million investment, officiated by Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf Yusoh, Chief Minister of Melaka, marks another addition to the state’s automotive manufacturing ecosystem. Also present were Mr Hamidon Abdullah, Executive Chairman of EPMB, and Datuk Ginie Lim, CEO of Invest Melaka.

On site, the plan is straightforward in scale but ambitious in intent, a 16,000-square-metre facility expected to come online in 2027, producing up to 60,000 vehicles annually and supporting over 200 jobs.

What stood out more than the numbers was the direction of the process itself. The painting line is being built around robotics and automation, combined with water-based paint systems and a sludge-free dry spray approach, aimed at cutting waste by up to 80%.

It sits within a broader direction under Malaysia’s NIMP 2030, where the focus is gradually moving towards more advanced, efficient, and sustainable forms of manufacturing, rather than expansion alone.