Malaysian Prime Minister calls for electrification of public transport

Date: 12/10/2012

The Prime Minister of Malyasia Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has spoken about his desire for transportation to be key in cutting the country's carbon footprint.

He was at the International GreenTech and Eco Products Exhibition and Conference at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre when he said that he wanted Malaysia to go down the path of sustainable energy.

Since the transport sector has the second biggest demand for energy in the country, he spoke of electric vehicles being instrumental in moving forward.

He said: "We must push ahead with the electrification of public transport.

"In the long term, we would like to match the energy consumed by the electric vehicles with renewable power generation to achieve a truly sustainable public transport infrastructure, with zero emissions."

Consumers may find that electric cars become a common sight on the streets of Kuala Lumpur and the rest of Malaysia in coming years.

Mr Najib said: "Once there is a clear signal from the Government that the low-carbon transition is underway, markets will then start pricing zero-carbon vehicles accordingly, and more consumers will start buying them.

"I believe we have the potential to become a regional hub for electric vehicles with a vibrant, world-class industry."

The Prime Minister's words come in conjunction with the National Automotive Policy, which aims to stimulate investment in electric vehicles.

This has recently been reviewed and includes providing research grants and tax incentives to help bring such cars to the market.

As a part of this Proton has been awarded RM 120 million (£24.5 million) in funding in order to develop hybrid vehicles.

Mr Najib added: "Our green industries are already worth RM 67 billion and grew six per cent in 2010/2011 - outstripping the global green sector.

"It is estimated that all the green projects under the Economic Transformation Programme will generate a gross national income of RM 53 billion by 2020."

Posted by Nick Amderson

International Transport News and Sustainable Transport News