PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) president Datuk Aishah Ahmad Badjunaid passed away in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Feb 2.
She had just finished performing umrah and was due to return to Malaysia on Feb 4.
In a statement, MAA said Aishah would be laid to rest in Saudi Arabia today.
Aishah, 71, was MAA president since 2000.
She was also the first woman chairman of Malaysian Motor Traders Association (MMTA) from 1991 until MMTA merged with the Malaysian Motor Vehicles Assemblers Association (MMVAA) in 2000 to form MAA.
Aside from being the MAA president, Aishah also served from 1998 until now as chairman of Automotive Federation Malaysia (AFM), the umbrella association for MAA, the Malaysian Automotive Component Parts Manufacturers, and Motorcycle and Scooter Assemblers & Distributors Association of Malaysia.
At the regional level, Aishah was president of Asean Automotive Federation (AAF) for three terms: 2000 - 2002, 2008 - 2010, and 2015 - 2017.
"Under her stewardship, the MAA had grown in terms of stature, memberships, and resources. With her leadership and strong commitment, the association has engaged in numerous dialogues, discussions and proposals with the government to resolve industrial issues and review policies to support the expansion and sustenance of the automotive industry in Malaysia," MAA said.
She started her career in mid-1970s with Inchcape Group of Companies in Malaysia, a time when senior positions in automotive companies were occupied by men.
She worked her way up in the industry over the years and was with Ford Malaysia, Tractors Malaysia and retired in 2021 when she was in Sime Darby Motors Division.
Despite her retirement, Aishah continued to serve as board member for Sime Darby Group of Companies.
Meanwhile, DRB-Hicom Group in a statement said Aishah was an industry stalwart who made substantial contributions to the Malaysian motoring industry throughout her career.
Its group managing director Datuk Seri Syed Faisal Albar said Aishah is irreplaceable and that her legacy is the impact she made on the industry she so loved.
"Her leadership, vision, and dedication in running the MAA have made a lasting impact on the industry and she will be remembered as a tireless champion for the growth and development of the automotive sector in Malaysia.
"Her passing is a great loss to the industry and the entire community,” Syed Faisal said.
Aishah promoting the KL International Motor Show of 2018.
A former colleague in Sime Darby Motors, Devindran Ramanathan, said Aishah was one of the few Malay women who started their careers in the automotive industry whom he knew.
The SpareXHub co-founder said Aishah, an ITM graduate and member of the Chartered Institute of Transport, was also the first woman to become a marketing services manager at Inchape and later with Ford operations in Malaysia.
"I started knowing Aishah when I joined Sime Darby Motors, notably Auto Bavaria, in the early 1990s as a management trainee as she was very much my senior and an icon we looked up to as young automotive executives.
"She was very sociable, happy around people and exudes confidence when speaking.
"She certainly had the knack of keeping all members and stakeholders of the motor industry association united and having a common voice when presenting policy issues or concerns with the Government.
"Aishah was wonderful to accept my invitation to speak at an automotive conference I organised in 2012 at my new start-up business in aftersales consulting and training," Devindran said.
Devindran also said Aishah would be missed and he hoped more women would emulate her enviable nature as a human being.
