Kuala Lumpur: ASEAN must embrace science and technology and produce innovations to power up the region’s digital and green economy visions sustainably, in order to achieve its ambition of becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030. Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz emphasized this at the launch of the Malaysia Autoshow (MAS) 2025.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tengku Zafrul highlighted the inclusion of 18 Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) aimed at supporting the ASEAN Electric Vehicle (EV) Implementation Roadmap. He pointed out that the development of policy recommendations and guidelines is crucial for aligning regional regulatory and infrastructure initiatives to bolster a robust and sustainable EV ecosystem across ASEAN.
He cited the ASEAN Battery Swapping Standard as an example of the region’s vision in action, aimed at streamlining EV charging infrastructure through a unified standard across ASEAN. He noted that this harmonization not only reduces operational costs and attracts more investments but also enhances convenience, accessibility, and consumer confidence, ensuring a seamless and impactful green mobility transition.
Tengku Zafrul further stated that true resilience in the automotive sector hinges on deeper regional supply chain integration. By fostering complementary supply chains and developing markets within ASEAN, production efficiency can be significantly boosted, dependence on external markets reduced, and a more agile and robust automotive ecosystem built.
He stressed that each member state’s unique strengths could position ASEAN as a global hub for sustainable and next-generation mobility solutions. Malaysia is playing a key role in this vision through the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), focusing on strategic initiatives like e-mobility to achieve a greener, more vibrant, and prosperous Malaysia by 2030.
As the ASEAN Chairman in 2025, Malaysia is poised to lead in shaping the region’s political, economic, and social agenda. ASEAN, as the world’s fifth-largest economic bloc, stands at a crucial junction, requiring agility and unity to navigate global challenges such as the US-China trade war. Managing the US tariff issue as a bloc is seen as vital to the region’s growth trajectory.
MAS 2025, held for the third consecutive year, features 200 exhibitors and more than 500 vehicles, showcasing the region’s commitment to advancing its automotive and economic aspirations.