Zafrul: Address lack of skilled EV workers quickly
23 Nov 2023
The lack of skilled electric vehicle (EV) workers nationally must be addressed if Malaysia is to keep up with the rapidly expanding regional EV market, says Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
The Investment, Trade and Industry Minister pointed out that there was promising adoption of EVs globally over the last few years.
“A few years ago, it was rare to spot an electric car in Kuala Lumpur but these days they are not only frequently seen but charging stations are now found in many popular areas like shopping malls and even private residences.
“The Asean EV market, which was only valued at nearly US$500mil in 2021, is now projected to reach US$2.7bil by 2027,” he said during the launch of E-Mobility Asia (Ema) 2023 trade show here yesterday.
Tengku Zafrul said more progressive steps must be taken to reskill and upskill local industry players to keep up with the expected spike in demand for charging stations.
“EV owners must be able to charge any form of EV quickly, easily and reliably in an urban or rural setting in order to ease consumer concerns over range anxiety which will in turn also drive up EV adoption,” he added.
He said those who were able to meet the minimum standards set by government agencies, such as the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute or MARii, should be allowed to join the industry.
“We need to look at not only training new people to join the industry but also the reskill and upskill of our existing EV workforce to address this shortage.
“Failing to do so might cause many issues for the local industry once the transition is in full swing,” he added.
Tengku Zafrul’s response came after Human Resource Minister V. Sivakumar revealed in a Parliamentary written reply dated Oct 13 that only one person in the country was currently qualified to install and maintain EV charging stations across the country.
Last month, Putrajaya said it aimed to install 10,000 EV stations by 2025. However, there are currently just 1,246 charging stations across the country.
Held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the first Ema 2023 featured a trade exhibition and two conferences that would be held by key strategic partners in the green transport industry throughout its three day period from yesterday to Nov 24.
The newest mobility industry trade show, organised by Derrisen Sdn Bhd, was held together with the inaugural Sustainability Environment Asia trade show which together, featured 100 Malaysian and foreign exhibitors who are expected to welcome an estimated 12,000 attendees.
Source: The Star
