SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATIONS TO DRIVE ASEAN’S DIGITAL AND GREEN ECONOMY VISION - TENGKU ZAFRUL

SERDANG, May 8 (Bernama) -- 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 said this is why the 18 Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) also include the development of policy recommendations and guidelines to support the ASEAN Electric Vehicle (EV) Implementation Roadmap.

“This marks a significant step in aligning regional regulatory and infrastructure initiatives to drive the growth of a robust and sustainable EV ecosystem across ASEAN,” he said at the launch of the Malaysia Autoshow (MAS) 2025 here, today.

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.

“This harmonisation not only reduces operational costs and attracts more investments, but also enhances convenience, accessibility, and consumer confidence. This ensures a more seamless and impactful green mobility transition and reinforces our leadership in the sector,” he added.

However, he 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, we can significantly boost production efficiency, reduce dependence on external markets, and build a more agile and robust automotive ecosystem.

“With each member state bringing its unique strengths to the table, we can position ASEAN as a global hub for sustainable and next-generation mobility solutions,” he said.

Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia is significantly strengthening its contribution to ASEAN’s vision through the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030).

“A key mission of this plan is our ‘Push for Net Zero’, which includes strategic initiatives focused on e-mobility, to cultivate a greener, more vibrant, and prosperous Malaysia by 2030.

“Through our clear policies, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) is firmly guiding industries to move up the value chain to remain competitive and resilient amid rapid technological disruptions and shifting (global) trade dynamics,” he added.

As the ASEAN Chairman in 2025, he said the country is proud to take the lead in shaping the region’s political, economic and social agenda. ASEAN—the world’s fifth-largest economic bloc with a gross domestic product of US$3.8 trillion (US$1=RM4.22), stands at an important crossroad.

“ASEAN must remain agile, forward-thinking and united in navigating these evolving global challenges such as the US-China trade war.

“How we manage the US tariff issue as a bloc is key to the region’s future growth trajectory. To this end, several of our 18 PEDs are related to the upgrading the ASEAN Trade in Good Agreement, as well as advancing ASEAN’s trade-based frameworks with China, India, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),” he said.

 MAS 2025, held for the third consecutive year, features 200 exhibitors and more than 500 vehicles.

-- BERNAMA