Johari Ghani and the Government Are Actively Slowing Down Malaysia’s Energy Transition
Once again, the Malaysian government under Datuk Seri Johari Ghani has chosen to protect vested interests at the expense of the rakyat and the country’s future. Instead of accelerating our National Energy Transition Roadmap, they are deliberately putting the brakes on it with misguided and outdated protectionist policies.
First, they set a minimum price of RM100,000 for imported fully built-up EV cars. Now, they have shamelessly raised the threshold even higher — reportedly to RM200,000 or more. This is not leadership. This is regression.
What exactly is this so-called “protection of local industry”? Proton is already 49.9% owned by China’s Geely, and a substantial portion of Perodua involves foreign ownership through Daihatsu/Toyota. If foreign control and partnerships are perfectly fine for our “national” car makers, then whose interests is the government really protecting by blocking affordable EVs from the rest of the world?
It certainly doesn’t look like it’s protecting ordinary Malaysians.
At RM200,000 and above, only the top 5% of Malaysians can even dream of buying an imported EV. This policy is madness. In a country where the majority of car buyers cannot afford anything close to that price, the government is effectively forcing popular and more affordable models from BYD (many under RM100,000 elsewhere) and even several Tesla variants to either stay out or be artificially inflated to unaffordable levels.
This is the same old “tongkat” mentality that has plagued Malaysia for decades. Whenever local players cannot compete fairly on price, technology, or value, the government rushes in with crutches instead of forcing real improvement.
This is classic tongkat mentality — whenever local players struggle to compete on price, technology, or value, the government hands out crutches instead of demanding improvement.
After more than 40 years of Proton, we are still terrified of genuine competition. How much longer must Malaysians suffer this backward thinking?
Why is the government so eager to shield Geely-linked products and overpriced local offerings while shutting the door on truly competitive and affordable EVs? In China, leaders had the foresight to welcome Tesla’s investment.
That single decision helped ignite a vibrant EV ecosystem, created massive supply chains, and produced world-class manufacturers. Malaysia, on the other hand, continues to move backwards, afraid to let the market work even as global oil prices fluctuate and our own oil reserves edge closer to depletion.
Greater adoption of affordable EVs would significantly reduce the rakyat’s crippling dependence on fuel subsidies and ease the massive burden on government finances. Yet, instead of encouraging this, the government keeps flip-flopping on policies — offering incentives one moment and slapping on ridiculous barriers the next. Such inconsistency only signals to investors that Malaysia is an unreliable and risky place to do business.
Datuk Seri Johari Ghani and MITI continue to reveal their true priority: shielding vested local interests rather than advancing Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap. The latest moves are not just disappointing — they are actively harmful.
The government has raised the minimum price threshold for imported CBU EVs to RM200,000–RM250,000 (depending on the brand and model). On top of that, for any local CKD assembly like BYD’s planned plant in Tanjung Malim, they are imposing outrageous conditions: 80% of production must be exported, leaving only 20% available for the domestic market — and even that 20% must be priced above RM200,000.
This is not industrial policy. This is absurdity.
These rules are indirectly forcing BYD to reconsider or even abandon its Tanjung Malim CKD plant. A project that was supposed to bring significant investment, local jobs, technology transfer, and more affordable EVs to Malaysians is now hanging by a thread. How can any serious manufacturer justify building a factory if they are only allowed to sell a tiny fraction of output locally — and at artificially inflated prices that most Malaysians cannot afford?
Recent reports suggest that BYD may be forced to reconsider or scale back investments potentially worth more than RM3.5 billion, putting thousands of potential jobs at risk. This is the real cost of fear-driven policy-making.
Wider EV adoption — especially affordable ones — would reduce the rakyat’s heavy dependence on petrol subsidies and ease the burden on government coffers. Yet the government’s constant flip-flopping creates massive uncertainty. Investors hate unpredictability, and these restrictive rules send a clear message: Malaysia is a risky and unwelcoming place for serious EV investment.
The potential loss is huge. BYD’s stalled Tanjung Malim project threatens not just billions in investment but also thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities in Perak and beyond. This is the real cost of fear-driven, protectionist policymaking.
Malaysia cannot remain an oil-dependent nation forever. Clinging to outdated industries and vested interests while blocking progress will only leave us lagging far behind our ASEAN neighbours.
It’s time to drop the tongkat. Stop indirectly forcing companies like BYD to walk away. Embrace fair competition, welcome genuine investment, and let Malaysians finally access affordable EVs. Anything less is a betrayal of both the rakyat and the country’s future.
