PETALING JAYA: Goodyear has been working closely with the government to help the 550 employees at its Shah Alam manufacturing plant find new jobs, says the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida).
Mida said the tyre manufacturer, which will be shutting down the plant in June, has mobilised a specialised team with the government to facilitate job placements through initiatives led by Mida and the investment, trade and industry ministry, coupled with upskilling and reskilling programmes.
“This pre-emptive collaboration demonstrates our collective commitment to the well-being of the workforce, underlining that our efforts to assist the affected employees are undertaken with foresight and responsibility,” it said in a statement.
Mida said Goodyear has been operating at a loss since 2017, prompting a transition from manufacturing to a distributor business model.
Former international trade and industry minister Rafidah Aziz recently called for the government to quickly respond to the developments surrounding the planned closure of the Shah Alam plant.
Meanwhile, Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari said Goodyear’s restructuring of global operations since last year had forced it to close a number of factories.
Amirudin said the company shut down a factory in Ohio in the US and axed 1,200 workers across Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia in 2023.
He said the cuts were part of Goodyear’s business restructuring process, with the company claiming it is unable to compete with other tyre manufacturers like Bridgestone and Michelin.
