Malaysia is setting its sights on a future where cars do the heavy lifting, with Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Sim Tze Tzin announcing a target for Level 3 autonomous driving by 2030.
When we look at the standards developed by SAE International, autonomous driving is categorised into six levels. We start at Level 0, where the human does everything, and go all the way up to Level 5, which is total self-driving in any environment. Level 3 means the car can handle most of the driving in specific scenarios, though you still need to be ready to jump back into the driver’s seat if things get tricky.
It is a big leap for the local automotive scene, but the government seems keen to get the wheels turning sooner rather than later according to The Edge Malaysia.
The goal is to get local vendors involved in producing the brains and senses of these vehicles, specifically chips, sensors, and the software that runs them. Sim is calling for a massive upgrade in local capabilities, noting that this is a whole-of-nation effort. This includes the Public Works Department (JKR) and local councils, who will need to ensure road signs and infrastructure are actually readable for a computer.
Sim pointed out that Malaysia has spent a lot of time focusing on traditional car manufacturing, but it is high time to pivot towards autonomy. The Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute will be leading the charge to make sure the country does not get left behind.
This transition is going to require a serious rethink of how we build cars. We are looking at a future that relies heavily on semiconductor design and sophisticated software development. Sim highlighted how fast this tech is moving elsewhere, particularly in the US, where autonomous driving has expanded from just a handful of cities to dozens in a single year. If Malaysia wants a slice of that pie, the work starts now.
The automotive industry in Malaysia needs to stop playing catch-up and start looking ahead. If we only focus on today’s tech, we will always be trailing behind the leaders. By laying the groundwork for autonomous systems today, the hope is that Malaysia can eventually lead the region in next-gen mobility.