KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 (Bernama) — ASEAN needs a unified strategy to boost the region’s electric vehicle (EV) industry, said Yinson Holdings Bhd chief executive officer Lim Chern Yuan.
Speaking at the panel discussion titled "ASEAN EV Implementation Roadmap" at the ASEAN Economic Opinion Leaders Conference today, Lim said it's important for the region to move beyond assembly-focused models, which are low-value-added and create lower paying jobs.
"We need to shift towards high value areas such as semiconductors, batteries, and software engineering," he said.
Lim pointed to Malaysia’s semiconductor industry as a significant contributor to the EV ecosystem and highlighted Indonesia’s strategic move to focus on battery production due to its vast nickel reserves.
"China has developed a full supply chain due to its strong domestic market, and ASEAN must take a holistic approach by deciding which countries focus on which sectors rather than competing with each other. Fragmented policies will only hinder our ability to compete globally,” he said.
Lim also emphasised the importance of increasing domestic demand for EVs across ASEAN, calling it a crucial step to attract investment and develop the regional EV ecosystem.
"In Taiwan, for instance, there is strong backing for battery-swapping stations and the after-sales ecosystem, including maintenance shops for EV bikes, and this is an approach ASEAN countries should consider adopting to build consumer confidence,” he said.
Calling for a shift towards high value industries, Lim encouraged ASEAN countries to invest in areas like software engineering for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and renewable energy technologies, rather than merely emulating China’s approach.
"ASEAN must replicate such initiatives to build consumer confidence and attract investments in the EV sector,” Lim said.
Yinson Green Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd, a unit of Yinson, is involved in developing EV charging infrastructure in Malaysia.
--BERNAMA
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