Chery Malaysia marked a significant milestone with the launch of its first locally assembled OMODA E5 electric vehicle (EV) at Kulim, Kedah.
Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong officiated the event, acknowledging Chery’s achievement and its contribution to the development of Malaysia’s automotive sector.
During his speech, Liew commended Chery’s commitment to local employment, noting that 99% of their assembly workforce are Malaysians, reinforcing the importance of creating skilled local jobs in Malaysia’s journey toward industrialisation.
Liew highlighted Malaysia’s lagging EV adoption rate, standing at only 1.2% in 2023 compared to regional neighbours such as Thailand (12%) and Singapore (18%).
“We should see EVs as the way forward for green transition,” he emphasised, advocating for an increase in EVs to reduce the country’s reliance on petrol and subsidies.
Malaysia’s target, in line with the National Energy Transition Roadmap, is for EVs to make up 20% of the total industry volume by 2030.
Liew called for public and private sector collaboration to meet this goal, stressing that an expansion of public transport and EV infrastructure is essential to reducing petroleum dependency and achieving a climate-friendly future.
