Malaysian minister offers to mediate federal and state talks on BYD EV factory in Perak
By Eve
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming has volunteered to act as a liaison between Malaysia's federal government and Perak state authorities in negotiations over a potential BYD electric vehicle manufacturing facility. Speaking at the state assembly on 20 April, Nga cited concerns that federal policy conditions, including export requirements and localisation rules, have created uncertainty for investors and could push the project to competing states. The intervention follows claims that unfavourable government terms are jeopardising the BYD investment.
Why it matters: A BYD factory in Perak would anchor Malaysia's EV manufacturing ambitions and drive demand for charging infrastructure across industrial and logistics sites. Ministerial mediation signals that policy friction over local content and export quotas remains a live risk for large scale EV projects in Southeast Asia.