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Vehicle sales for the month of February this year fell by 0.6%, or 328 units, as compared to the same period last year, according to the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA). A total of 50,390 units were sold - 44,917 passenger vehicles and 5,473 commercial vehicles.

In comparison, February 2014 saw a total of 50,718 vehicles being sold. A total of 45,704 passenger cars were sold during that period with the numbers for commercial vehicles peg at a, surprisingly, lower figure compared to February 2015, at 5,014 units sold.

As for production numbers, total vehicle build for February 2015 was recorded at 46,958 units - a slump of 722 units. Over the same period last year, a total of 47,680 vehicles were produced. As for the breakdown, production numbers for passenger vehicles were capped at 44,023 (a rise from 43,092 units in 2014) while the figures for commercial vehicles were recorded at 2,935 units (a fall from 4,588 units in 2014).

According to the MAA, the reason behind the slip in sales can be attributed to the wait-and-see approach employed by consumers as the majority are still convinced that car prices are expected to fall following the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) come April 1.

The outlook for March appears optimistic, however. The MAA predicts that there will be significant discounts offered by various car companies to boost the clearance of the current stock of vehicles prior to the implementation of the GST.