ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Campuses for Electric Vehicle Expeditious Roll-Out (Clever) programme will help speed up the process of turning Malaysia into a carbon-neutral country by 2050, says Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
The Science, Technology and Innovation Minister added that the goal was achievable through strengthening the electronic vehicle (EV) technology, which the government has shown its commitment to by providing tax incentives for EV ownership.
“As the ministry responsible for achieving the carbon-neutral target, we will continue to improve and develop EV technology through the 10-10 Malaysian Science, Technology, Innovation and Economic (MySTIE) Framework.
“As a sign of support for the development of a domestic EV industry, the government has proposed to provide full exemptions on import and excise duties and sales tax, as well as road tax (up to 100%) for EVs as announced in Budget 2022,” he said.
He said this during a speech at the Clever programme launching ceremony at the Educity Indoor Stadium, here on Friday (July 1).
This is in line with the National Automotive Policy 2020 (NAP 2020), the National Transport Policy (NTP) 2019 -2030 and the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint 2021-2030, he said.
Budget 2022 also stated that individual income tax relief of up to RM2,500 will be given on the costs of buying, installing, leasing or repayment of EV charging facilities.
“The launching of the Clever programme will also support our initiative of providing 5,000 charging stations for EVs throughout the country.
“We hope through this, we can encourage more Malaysians to own and use EVs as their choice of transportation,” he explained.
Clever will provide a space for startups and innovators to conduct real-time testing on university campuses in a controlled environment, he added.
Dr Adham explained that university campuses have the perfect location and environment for EV testing, as they are less crowded and are inside a monitored area compared to the general road.
