Bureaucratic Delays: Malaysia’s Charging Challenge Deepens

The government continues to face mounting challenges in meeting its target of installing 10,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations nationwide by the end of this year, as high installation costs and lengthy approval processes continue to weigh heavily on operators.

Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz acknowledged that operators are burdened by the significant cost of installing direct current (DC) chargers, which require substantial investment not only in equipment but also in ongoing maintenance.

He also confirmed what Carz.com.my has been highlighting all this while - that the approval process for new charging facilities remains lengthy, often taking more than six months. This is largely due to the involvement of multiple authorities, including local councils, the Energy Commission and Tenaga Nasional Bhd, each with its own procedures.

In July 2024, Zafrul had said that the government had successfully reduced bureaucratic hurdles in the charger installation process with the introduction of a one-stop centre. The initiative, led by the Minister of Energy Transition and Public Utilities Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, was meant to streamline approvals that previously required coordination between several agencies and ministries.

Yet, based on the latest update, it appears the on-ground reality remains less encouraging. Operators continue to face long waiting times, suggesting that while the one-stop mechanism may exist, its effectiveness in practice is still limited.

To address the issue further, the government, through PLANMalaysia, has developed the Planning Guidelines for Electric Vehicle Charging Bays as a unified framework for local and state authorities. 

These guidelines are intended to simplify and standardise the approval process, potentially reducing approval times to as little as 14 days once fully adopted. The key phrase here is “once fully”, which could prove another challenge, as decisions made at the top often face delays when it comes to execution at the ground level.

Regular engagement sessions are also being held with industry stakeholders such as the EV Charging Industry Association (EVCIA), alongside partnerships with highway concessionaires, hypermarkets, shopping malls and the hospitality sector to encourage wider charger deployment.

As of Sept 30, a total of 5,149 public charging units have been installed across Malaysia, representing just over half of the 10,000-unit target. Of this figure, 1,709 are DC chargers while 3,440 are alternating current (AC) chargers.

Tengku Zafrul noted that the current ratio of one public charger for every eight BEVs is sufficient to serve the approximately 42,000 passenger BEVs currently registered in the country.

However, Carz.com.my believes this sense of sufficiency may prove short-lived. Following the launch of the Proton e.MAS 5, which has already secured over 5,000 confirmed bookings, and with buyers rushing to take advantage of EV tax incentives before they expire, the number of registered EVs is expected to rise sharply.

Once this growth accelerates, the charger-to-vehicle ratio will tighten quickly, putting pressure on existing infrastructure and potentially leading to queues at charging stations. This could erode public confidence in Malaysia’s EV transition just as adoption begins to pick up pace.

While the government is aware of these challenges, many of the same bottlenecks - overlapping agency procedures, slow approvals and unclear coordination - have persisted for years. If the approval process continues to drag despite clear national targets, it raises a pressing question: why isn’t there a stronger push to streamline it now?

The tools and authority to act are already in the government’s hands. If not now, then when? When stations are crowded and frustrations begin to mount?

Source: The Edge