Disruptions to supplies of parts from Japan due to the March 11 quake-tsunami caused Malaysia's auto production to sink 24.7 percent year on year in April, an industry group said Friday.

However, the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) said consumer sentiment in Malaysia, Southeast Asia's biggest passenger car market, remained stable.

The MAA said production in April fell to 37,419 units compared with 49,666 in the same period last year because of an "interruption of supply" of some components from Japan.

But sales rose 4.4 percent to 50,936 units, from 48,812 in the same month a year earlier, the association said in a statement.

Sales volume in May was expected to be lower than that in April due to ongoing supply problems from Japan.

For the first four months of the year, vehicle sales rose 7.8 percent year on year to 209,368.

In January the MAA projected sales growth to continue in 2011 but at a slower pace -- by 2.1 percent to 618,000 -- due to moderating economic expansion.