UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) has successfully held the Toyota Skills Contest 2025, an annual event that celebrates the skills and dedication of Toyota employees across Malaysia. The competition shows Toyota’s belief that people are key to delivering quality; every skill learned, every customer helped, and every vehicle serviced builds trust and satisfaction.
Under the theme “Customer First, Quality First,” the event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Education, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), and important private organizations, highlighting the joint effort to improve Malaysia’s automotive talent. The contest also tests skills in diagnosing problems, repair accuracy, giving service advice, and engaging with customers, all of which are essential to Toyota’s quality and reliability standards.
“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 had nine competitive categories and one Best Team Award, showcasing the best in service, sales, and customer operations. The categories were 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 won the Best Team Award and received RM20,000 for their excellent teamwork, professionalism, and commitment to putting customers first. In total, RM155,000 in cash prizes was given to recognize talented individuals and teams who show Toyota’s goal of continuous improvement.
The contest reflects Toyota’s “Customer First” and “Quality First” values, based on the Five Main Principles of Toyoda. These principles highlight Kaizen (continuous improvement) and Genchi Genbutsu (solving problems on-site), encouraging employees to work together, be innovative, and meet real customer needs.
Empowering People, Elevating Standards
The Skills Contest is a way to showcase local talent and raise it to global standards through written tests, problem-solving challenges, and customer service practice. The best performers will represent Malaysia in regional Toyota Skills Contests, helping to build the country’s reputation for technical excellence in the ASEAN region.
Many participants start their journey through the Toyota Technical Education Programme (T-TEP), a partnership between UMWT and Malaysia’s schools for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Since 1991, this program has helped over 7,000 students graduate from 25 partner schools, providing hands-on training and job opportunities in 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.
The winners of this year’s Toyota Skills Contest are as follows:
- Best Team Award: Laser Motor PJ Sdn Bhd
- Customer Relations: Ahmad Zulhazim bin Mohd Hidzir, Laser Motor PJ Sdn Bhd
- General Service – Technician Diagnosis: Hiew Chwei How, Borneo Mobility Sdn Bhd
- General Service – Technician Maintenance & Repair: Ang Yee Hui, Boulevard Jaya Sdn Bhd
- General Service – Service Advisor: Mohd Hanfi bin Badaruddin, Laser Motor PJ Sdn Bhd
- Parts Assistant: Sharifudin bin Noordin Ali, Fokus Timur Sdn Bhd
- Sales Advisor: Long Sir Hui, Hiewa Auto Gallery Sdn Bhd (Kota Tinggi)
- Admin Assistant: Siti Syafiqah binti Sahizan, Fokus Tetap Sdn Bhd
- Workshop Controller: Mohd Khairul Nizam bin Musa, Laser Motor Petaling Utama Sdn Bhd
- Body & Paint Service Advisor: Shahrul Fariq bin Azman, Laser Motor PJ Sdn Bhd