Pahang aims to position itself as the East Coast hub for electric vehicle (EV) assembly and manufacturing in Malaysia, according to State Investment, Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman Datuk Mohamad Nizar Najib. This ambition aligns with the rising demand for EVs, highlighted by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, which reported a doubling of EV sales in the first half of 2024 to 10,663 units compared to 4,409 during the same period in 2023.
Nizar revealed this during the winding-up debate on the 2025 Pahang Budget at the state legislative assembly yesterday on 5 December 2024. He noted that the surge in EV adoption reflects a significant transformation in Malaysia’s automotive market. While West Coast states like Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka currently attract EV manufacturers due to favourable logistics, Pahang is striving to establish itself as a competitive alternative.
“We also want to see Pahang become a hub for the assembly and manufacturing of electric vehicles in the East Coast,” he said. “If logistics is a major criterion, then we will strengthen the promotion of the logistics network and the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) which connects Port Klang and Kuantan Port.”
In line with its aspirations, Pahang has partnered with Perbadanan Setiausaha Kerajaan Pahang to invest RM250 million in the development of 50 EV charging stations across the state. The Bentong district was selected as the pilot location, with plans to construct 12 stations there, starting with the first facility already underway.
Prior to this, the Pahang state government also expressed interest in attracting investments from the data centre industry back in late October this year. Nizar acknowledged that while Pahang may not rival the scale of Kuala Lumpur or Johor, which each host 40–50 data centres, it remains committed to evaluating proposals.
(Source: Bernama)
