by VEISHNAWI NEHRU
THE Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) wants Malaysia’s automotive and semiconductor sectors to unite, aiming for Malaysia to one day be known for designing automotive chips.
Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong said Malaysia has significant opportunities with 40 years of car manufacturing experience and a strong semiconductor cluster.
He added that MITI aims for 20% of the total industrial volume (TIV) by 2030 to come from all forms of electric vehicles (xEV), which includes plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and other electric vehicle (EV) types.
“Achieving this is challenging, but it is possible. According to the International Energy Agency, global EV sales rose from 2% of TIV in 2018 to 18% in 2023.
“In China, EV sales even outpaced internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in some months this year,” he told the press after the E-mobility Asia (EMA) launch at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) on Tuesday (Nov 12).
Liew said Malaysia needs a unified, national effort to advance EV adoption.
This involves reducing oil consumption, creating opportunities in manufacturing, fostering synergy between semiconductor and automotive industries, and addressing the evolving needs of the automotive sector.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and Internet of Things Institute (MARii) CEO Azrul Reza Aziz said EMA is co-located with Sustainability Environment Asia (SEA) 2024.
The two events bring together 100 international exhibitors from six countries and regions, which are China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan, with over 12,000 trade visitors anticipated.
The two-day conference covers key topics like EV adoption, charging infrastructure, future trends, battery management and workforce development, followed by free EMA Pocket Talk sessions, an EV Safety Training forum and a TEEAM forum on Nov 14.
Over 60 speakers are in the line-up, including top executives from a coalition of the Asian Federation of EV Associations and the EV associations of Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.
“EMA also features opportunities in ASEAN and the global market for next-generation two- and three-wheelers, currently the most electrified mode of transport,” Azrul Reza said.
