KUALA LUMPUR (July 20): Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Wednesday (July 20) proposed to national utility company Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) to forge cooperation in introducing affordable electric vehicle (EV) charging rates for the people.

The prime minister said TNB is currently working to increase its energy production by using renewable energy sources and providing adequate EV charging stations.

“At the same time, Perodua can use this opportunity by exploring new fields such as producing high-quality EVs that [Malaysians] can afford.

“In fact, telecommunication companies like Telekom Malaysia can also work with these two parties to provide data package that will enable users to book EV charging sessions online,” he said when launching the all-new Perodua Alza at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here on Wednesday.

Ismail Sabri said such smart cooperation should be forged as soon as possible to overcome the effects of climate change that had hit the world, and also to ensure sustainable development of the country.

He said the cooperation would also help achieve Malaysia’s target of being a carbon-neutral nation by as early as 2050.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said the government is willing to discuss with the private sector to ensure that all policies or initiatives introduced are in line with the country’s direction.

In fact, the prime minister said he had, just recently, asked Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, located in the High-Tech Valley, to develop a training and research centre, to be known as the Centre of Advanced Automotive Research and Training (CAART).

On the all-new Perodua Alza, Ismail Sabri said the new model will be well-received by the people because of its competitive price and improved safety features.

“Based on media reports on this all-new Perodua Alza, I am also impressed with its advanced features with significant improvements made in terms of driving comfort and versatility,” he added.