PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to meet electric car giant Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk tomorrow. 

When asked by reporters about the meeting, Anwar replied “tomorrow”. 

He was speaking to reporters after a dialogue session with enforcement agencies at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre today.

Anwar first broke the news last Friday, saying he would meet Musk this week to explore ways the giant electric vehicle company can further invest in Malaysia.

On March 1, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said his ministry approved Tesla’s application to import battery electric vehicles (BEVs) into Malaysia.

Tengku Zafrul said Tesla would establish a head office in Malaysia, introduce its service centres and establish its supercharger network.

Currently, the nearest Tesla official service centre is located in Singapore and owners from the Greentech leasing programme have been sending their cars to Hong Kong for major work.

Sunway University economics professor Yeah Kim Leng believes the meeting between the Tesla founder and the prime minister will prompt a chain reaction in the nation’s journey towards becoming a regional electric vehicle (EV) hub.

Yeah said a fruitful discussion between the global EV giant and the Malaysian leader will spark further commitments that could benefit the general Malaysian economy. – Bernama, July 13, 2023.