KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 2 -- Malaysia's car-parts makers risk being left on the sidelines of the electric vehicle (EV) boom, as Chinese carmakers favour imported components and their own supplier networks, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

The squeeze is regional, with suppliers in Indonesia and Thailand also facing weaker demand for parts used in petrol and diesel cars while the barriers to entering EV supply chains remain high.

"The supply chain is very different between Japanese autos and Chinese EVs," Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara, executive director of the Centre of Economic and Law Studies in Jakarta, Indonesia told the Hong Kong newspaper.

Malaysia's own experience shows how tricky it is, with BYD recently dropping plans fo...