"This will further expand the capability of local vendors towards specialising in high-technology manufacturing," DRB-Hicom said. Meanwhile, Bernama had on Aug 24 broken the news that Sime Darby Bhd would acquire a 61.2 per cent stake in UMW Holdings Bhd from Permodalan Nasional Bhd for RM3.57 billion in cash to further scale up and strengthen its presence in the Malaysian automotive sector. The transaction, one of the largest merger and acquisition deals in Malaysia, will strategically transform Sime Darby into a leading automotive player in the country with the addition of high-volume mass-market brands, Toyota and Perodua, capturing up to 60 per cent of domestic automotive TIV.