KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — The government is committed to increasing the acceptance level of Malaysians to shift to electric-based vehicles including electric motorcycles, said Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.

He said this is due to the benefits of electric vehicle (EV) mobility which is not only limited to cars but also includes electric motorcycles which is also an important medium of public transportation.

This is in line with the aspiration (of) and target set by the government to achieve zero carbon by 2050 as well as EV sales target of 20 per cent in 2030 through the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR),” he said after launching the Electric Motorcycle Use Promotion Scheme (MARiiCas) in conjunction with the Madani Government One Year Anniversary programme today.

Tengku Zafrul also advised all Malaysian citizens with annual income of RM120,000 and below to take advantage to register and apply for a cash subsidy of RM2,400 provided by the government.

He said the launch of MARiiCas is timely and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) believes this initiative can bolster the acceptance by the public to shift from using Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) to EVs.

"From another perspective, it is hopeful that this would help in achieving the electrified vehicles annual sales target of 20 per cent in 2030 as set in the NETR,” he said.

In a joint statement, itiI and the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics & IoT Institute (MARii) said this initiative offers incentives in the form of rebates to help increase the confidence and opportunity for the public to experience electric motorcycles as a medium of daily transport.

The statement said the MARiiCas application platform by MARii has been activated to enable applicants to check their eligibility, apply for the incentive, access information relating to the electric motorcycle models that are being offered, and check their application approval.

"This platform can be accessed through the website, insentif.marii.my beginning Dec 8, 2023,” it said. — Bernama