According to a report by Nikkei Asia on July 29th, the Japanese Matsushita Group plans to stop producing televisions in Malaysia in September this year and close its local factory by March 2027. It is estimated that about 400 employees will be laid off from this factory.
According to reports, Panasonic currently has production bases for televisions in Malaysia and Taiwan, China. The factory in Malaysia mainly produces mid-to-high-end television products for markets such as Japan. With the closure of this factory, Taiwan, China will become Panasonic’s only remaining independent production base, serving the local market primarily.
In recent years, Panasonic's television business has been squeezed by Chinese competitors. Reports indicate that Panasonic has outsourced the production of low-end televisions to Chinese manufacturers such as the TCL Group; its sales operations in Europe and America have also been transferred to Chinese home appliance companies like Skyworth Group. With the closure of the production line in Malaysia, it is expected that TV products produced locally will also be handled by external partners.
Apart from televisions, the layout of other products manufactured in Malaysian factories will also be adjusted. The production of Blu-ray disc players will end in September this year and will be transferred to Dalian, China; audio products such as analog recorders are planned to be transferred to Panasonic's affiliated enterprises in Malaysia.
Matsushita stated that no buyer for the factory has been found yet, but the company will continue to sell televisions and audio products in Malaysia.
Since 2025, Panasonic's parent company Panasonic Corporation has continued to carry out business restructuring, resulting in approximately 12,000 layoffs worldwide. Previously, Panasonic considered exiting or selling its television business, but in May this year, it stated that it had determined the future direction for this business.
Reports indicate that in addition to Panasonic, Japanese television manufacturers such as Sony Group and Toshiba have also gradually outsourced production to Chinese partners.
