Malaysia auto sales up 10.6 pct in November

Malaysia's auto sales rose 10.6 percent year-on-year in November as demand began to pick up after the global economic downturn, an industry group said Monday.

The rise to 45,200 was up from the 40,865 units sold in the same month last year, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) said in a statement.

"The year-on-year expansion of sales volume is expected to continue in December, although the month-on-month volume is likely to be lower," the MAA said, adding that this was partly due to the year-end holiday season.

Sales of motor vehicles totalled 489,234 in the first 11 months of the year, the MAA said, 3.7 percent lower than at the same point in 2008.

It was the second consecutive month Malaysian auto sales expanded, after a 22.9 percent year-on-year jump in October, pointing to signs of recovery for an industry badly hit by the slump.

Malaysia is Southeast Asia's biggest passenger car market with annual sales estimated at 500,000 in 2009.