UMW Toyota Motor Champions Excellence and The Advancement of Malaysia’s Human Capital in The Mobility Sector
SHAH ALAM, 2 November 2025 – UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) today hosted the Toyota Skills Contest 2025, an annual platform celebrating the passion, precision, and professionalism of Toyota personnel across Malaysia. The competition reflects Toyota’s belief that people are the driving force behind quality, where every skill mastered, every customer served, and every vehicle maintained contributes to lasting trust and satisfaction.
Held under the theme “Customer First, Quality First”, the event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Education, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), and key private institutions, reflecting collective efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s automotive talent ecosystem. The contest also serves as a benchmark to assess diagnostics, repair accuracy, service advisory, and customer engagement, all of which contribute directly to Toyota’s standards of quality and reliability.
“People are at the heart of everything we do,” said Datuk Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor. “Toyota’s long-term success has always been built on the skills, values and pride of its people. Through the Toyota Skills Contest, we celebrate excellence and invest in the future of Malaysia’s mobility ecosystem. As we move towards an era defined by electrification, digitalisation and innovation, our goal is to empower a generation of professionals who can uphold the spirit of Kaizen and drive progress with integrity, capability and compassion. Ultimately, our aspiration is to be “Best in Town”, a company that earns trust not through scale or sales, but through the genuine care, quality, and pride that define every interaction with our customers and communities.”
Recognising Excellence Across All Disciplines
This year’s Toyota Skills Contest featured nine competitive categories and one Best Team Award, highlighting excellence across service, sales, and customer operations. The categories included Customer Relations, GS Technician Diagnosis, GS Technician Maintenance and Repair, GS Service Advisor, Parts Assistant, Sales Advisor, Admin Assistant, Workshop Controller, and B&P Service Advisor.
Laser Motor PJ Sdn Bhd crowned as champion for the Best Team Award, receiving RM20,000 for outstanding teamwork, professionalism, and consistent delivery of customer-first service. In total, RM155,000 in cash prizes were awarded to recognise exceptional individuals and teams whose dedication and craftsmanship reflect Toyota’s culture of continuous improvement.
The contest embodies Toyota’s “Customer First” and “Quality First” philosophies, rooted in the Five Main Principles of Toyoda. These values emphasise Kaizen (continuous improvement) and Genchi Genbutsu (on-site problem-solving), encouraging employees to collaborate, innovate and respond to real customer needs.
Empowering People, Elevating Standards
The Skills Contest also serves as a platform to elevate local talent to global standards through written assessments, diagnostic challenges and customer-handling simulations. Top-performing individuals will go on to represent Malaysia at regional Toyota Skills Contests, reinforcing the nation’s growing reputation for technical excellence within the ASEAN network.
Many participants began their journey through the Toyota Technical Education Programme (T-TEP), a long-standing partnership between UMWT and Malaysia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions. Since 1991, the programme has produced more than 7,000 graduates across 25 partner institutions, offering students practical training and career pathways into the automotive industry.
Toyota’s foundation is built on developing people before producing cars, a belief captured in the idea that “Toyota makes people before we make cars.” The company’s long-term approach centres on nurturing human capital, strengthening local ecosystems, and fostering industry-wide skills. By empowering employees, suppliers, dealers, and service teams, Toyota creates an ecosystem that sustains competitiveness, resilience, and trust, allowing the brand to endure challenges and remain deeply committed to every market it operates in. This people-first mindset drives Toyota’s long-term success and its ability to adapt, grow, and uplift entire industries and societies.
At its core, the contest reflects Toyota’s aspiration to be “Best in Town”, a company trusted and respected in every community it serves. This philosophy goes beyond selling vehicles; it is about earning genuine trust through quality, care, and sincerity. Whether at a showroom, service centre, or technical workshop, Toyota strives to deliver an experience defined by reliability and integrity, making every interaction a reflection of its Customer First and Quality First values.
Through initiatives such as the Toyota Skills Contest and T-TEP, UMWT continues to invest in Malaysia’s human capital, demonstrating its commitment to drive progress through innovation, education and people who embody Toyota’s mission to move communities forward, one town at a time.
