KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday (Jul 14) said that electric vehicle company Tesla will be setting up its headquarters in Selangor this year.
The announcement came after Mr Anwar held a virtual meeting with Tesla and SpaceX chief executive officer Elon Musk.
The 25-minute meeting was also attended by Malaysia’s International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil and SpaceX senior director Lauren Dreyer.
Mr Anwar said that he welcomed the electric vehicle maker’s decision to invest in Malaysia and stated the government’s support for the opening of the Tesla head office in Selangor.
The prime minister added that Malaysia will continue to strengthen its commitment to achieving zero-net emissions by 2050.
“Malaysia will continue to strengthen its commitment in the subject of net zero carbon emissions or ‘net-zero emissions’ as early as 2050.
“Malaysia has a plan and a comprehensive ecosystem, as well as competitive resources in supporting the clean energy industry including electric mobility,” said Mr Anwar.
He added that the two also discussed the participation of SpaceX in providing the Starlink satellite service to Malaysia.
Mr Anwar said that this can contribute to faster and wider internet access especially in rural areas as it required minimal physical infrastructure and land to improve the global internet network.
Starlink is described as a satellite constellation system that aims to deliver global internet coverage.
“This initiative will increase the ability and well-being of the people, especially from the aspect of education and the potential of agricultural technology and income generation,” said Mr Anwar.
Tengku Zafrul had on July 10 said that the collaboration between Malaysia and Tesla was not limited to the electric vehicle (EV) sector alone, but other sectors as well.
Tesla will officially be launched in Malaysia on July 20.
Earlier on Friday, Tesla had said in a tweet that its model Y car was available for order in Malaysia, its first model in the country.
It said that the first delivery of the car was likely to be early next year and priced from RM199,000 (US$44,000).
In June, Tesla held a walk-in recruitment day in Cyberjaya, Selangor for several positions.