KUALA LUMPUR: DRB-Hicom Bhd plans to work with Malaysian government agencies to position its automotive hub in Tanjung Malim, Perak as a next-generation vehicles production hub for Asean.
The Automotive High-Tech Valley (AHTV) in Tanjung Malim, Perak will also house a national level autonomous driving and energy-efficient vehicles (EEV) testing and certification centre.
In separate filings with Bursa Malaysia Securities, DRB-Hicom said it had signed memorandum of understandings with Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Malaysia Automotive, Robotics, and IoT Institute (MARii) and its joint-venture partner Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd towards its goal.
Its partnerships with MIDA and Zhejiang Geely will focus on the production of next-gen and high-tech automotive components.
The agreement with MIDA, effective for two years, seeks to attract global automotive supply chain players and establish a comprehensive ecosystem in Tanjung Malim.
This includes enhancing the capabilities of local suppliers to support the localisation of critical components.
Meanwhile, the collaboration with MARii aims to develop shared research and development (R&D) and testing facilities.
These facilities will focus on vehicle R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, and next-gen testing capabilities, with the goal of achieving recognition across the Asean region.
The collaboration includes the establishment of the National Testing and Homologation Centre at AHTV, which will serve as Malaysia's primary testing and certification facility for autonomous driving and EEV testing.
Additionally, the parties plan to develop local design expertise in critical components, such as electric motors, battery management systems, and power distribution units, with support from Geely. The three-year MoU with MARii also encompasses a talent development programme involving institutions from Malaysia and China.
This includes establishing national standards for automotive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) certification.
It also plans to launch an automotive apprenticeship programme, and develop educational modules for high schools, universities, and certification courses focused on digitalisation and Industry 4.0 for the manufacturing and supply chain sectors.
Furthermore, the partnership also aims to engage with stakeholders on investment, trade, and industrial policies to position AHTV as a smart manufacturing hub and export base for the global supply chain of vehicles and automotive components.