JAKARTA (AFP) - Sales of new cars and motorbikes in Indonesia surged in 2008 but are expected to drop off this year as the effects of the global credit crunch hit, the country's automotive association said Tuesday.

New car sales rose 22 percent in 2008 from the year before, while motorcycle sales increased nine percent, Indonesian Automotive Industries Association Chairman Gunadi Sindhunata was quoted as saying by Dow Jones Newswires.

"For 2009, however, both car and motorcycles sales are expected to fall due to people's weaker purchasing power amid the global economic crisis," he said. New car sales in 2008 rose to 602,000 units from 495,000 a year earlier, 6 million motorcycles were sold, compared with 5.5 million.

Sindhunata expects new car sales this year to fall to around 400,000 units and motorcycles to fall to 4 million.