Putrajaya has agreed to grant Sarawak the Approved Permits (AP) to import 1000 units of electric and hydrogen powered vehicles. This makes Sarawak the first state in Malaysia to do so.
According to a report from The Borneo Post, Sarawak’s Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg confirmed this at the Bintulu Additional Gas Facility – 2 (BAGSF-2) First Gas Readiness Ceremony in Bintulu yesterday.
During his speech at the event, he said that he was first informed at a federal cabinet meeting earlier this week.
He added that he briefed the federal cabinet on the direction the Sarawak government is taking on in terms of energy.
“I briefed the Prime Minister that we must manage prudently and at the same time, try to explore new technology for us to produce energy not only for Sarawak but also our neighbours.
“The Prime Minister has acknowledged this and therefore I would like to urge Petronas, Petros and other entities to explore higher products out of gas,” he said.
In his speech, the Sarawak Premier also stated that Sarawak is also currently well positioned in Indonesia, as the state is currently exporting energy to Kalimantan. Sarawak is also investing in Indonesia’s largest hydroelectric dam in North Kalimantan.
“We are also going to develop our cascading hydro dam, which has the potential to generate 20,000MW and will be environmentally friendly.
“We are also embarking on producing green and blue ammonia for us to produce hydrogen, which is very significant against this background of climate change,” he said.
The deal to grant Sarawak the AP needed to import electric and hydrogen powered vehicles will also see these vehicles granted tax exemptions.
This is in line with Sarawak’s status as the leading state in terms of transition to renewable energy, even in Southeast Asia.
Last year, Abang Johari stated that Sarawak will see more electric vehicles on its road from 2030.
Earlier this year, the government had also extended the import duty exemption for components used in locally-assembled EVs until December 2027.
Completely-knocked down (CKD) EVs will also enjoy full excise tax and sales tax exemptions while completely built-up (CBU) will benefit from extended duty exemptions until December 2025.
Read More: Should You Buy An Electric Car In Malaysia?
