KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today affirmed the government’s “unwavering dedication” towards green technology, especially in electric vehicles (EV).
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said EVs hold significant promise in addressing climate change.
“Given our ongoing reliance on imported fuels and the unpredictable fluctuations in global oil prices, it makes perfect sense to promote the transition to electric vehicles.
“This transition not only leads to fuel and gas cost savings but also substantially reduces our greenhouse gas emissions, championing sustainability in our day-to-day activities.
“Having an electric vehicle in Malaysia comes with a multitude of incentives and benefits,” he said in his speech during the launch of the Weststar Maxus Mifa 9 electric vehicle at Shangri-La Hotel, here.
Anwar said the government’s steadfast dedication to promoting a greener and more sustainable Malaysia was evident in the Budget 2024 he tabled last month.
“Our primary goal is to accelerate the widespread acceptance of electric vehicles and promote the use of green technology in diverse sectors.
“The government’s unwavering dedication to sustainable mobility and green technology is evident in our robust policies,” he said.
On October 13, the government proposed several incentives for adoption of EV in next year’s budget, such as extending import duty exemptions for locally assembled EV components until December 2027.
“We have also granted full excise tax and sales tax exemptions for completely knocked down (CKD) EVs and extended completely built-up (CBU) duty exemptions until December 2025.
“To further bolster EV adoption, we’re offering tax deductions of up to RM300,000 for companies leasing non-commercial electric vehicles and have waived road taxes for EVs until December 31, 2025,” he said.
Anwar said the government is committed to setting up 10,000 electric vehicle charging stations throughout Malaysia by 2025.
“At present, we have 1,246 operational public charging stations, signifying just the initial phase of a robust charging infrastructure that will facilitate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles,” he added.
