GE15: BN, PN And PH Manifestos, What Have They Proposed In Regards To The Auto Industry

There are a few specific proposals under the automotive industry that have been announced by three main parties; BN, PN and PH.

On the EV aspect, BN placed their EV effort as the fourth emphasis area, promising to remove all forms of Approval Permit (AP) that are now in place for the importing of EVs into Malaysia.

This would essentially be a continuation of BN's current EV AP exemption, which was renewed during the October BUDGET 2023 announcement by caretaker Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul. According to the 2023 Budget, AP costs for every imported EV would be abolished until the end of 2023.

While BN put an emphasize on Aps for EVs, PN on the other hand promised to make sure companies that hire drivers/riders to provide insurance/takaful. Full-time registered drivers/riders will receive a preferential tax cut.

Additionally, gig economy workers would be paid a RM1,000 bonus if they study at an accredited college of higher learning. Finally, and this is not limited to p-hailing users, PN wants to lower the cost of getting a licence for motorcycles under 250cc.

Other pledges include free school bus rides and daycare for the poor and hardworking poor, as well as a speeding up of highway development. The Pan Borneo Highway, the Peninsula's Central Spine Road, and the East Coast's Lebuhraya Pantai Timur 3 (LPT 3) from Kuala Terengganu to Kelantan are the highways listed.

Finally, PN intends to minimise highway traffic congestion by adding lanes in strategic spots and hastening the introduction of sistem tol tanpa palang.

On PH side, the party promises that within 10 minutes of walking, 80% of metropolitan areas will have bus stops and train stations, and that waiting times for any public transportation service, particularly buses, should not exceed 10 minutes. 

To meet these demands, PH estimates it needs 10,000 buses for cities across Malaysia, with 7,000 of them operating in the Klang Valley.

PH also intends to implement a fare cap for people who do not want or require the monthly pass. The RM5 daily fare cap is intended to encourage more individuals to use public transportation.

PH will also advocate for the regulation and legalisation of "micro mobility" vehicles such as e-scooters and e-bikes as first and last mile connections.

Finally, PH aims to broaden public transportation payment methods to include debit cards and e-wallets, as opposed to the current system, which only accepts Touch n Go cards.

Which transport plans you favor the most?