BY NOOR SYAHHIRA HADY & SARAH HAFIZAH CHANDRA
KUCHING: The Association of Importers and Traders of Motor Vehicles Malaysia (PEKEMA) Sarawak has been urged to look into recycling batteries used in electric vehicles (EV).
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said that the batteries used in EVs contain lithium – which is not environmental friendly.
He explained that as Sarawak is moving into a green economy, having such a chemical element does not compliment the direction that the state is going for.
“I am not a scientist but PEKEMA should discuss more on expanding the life cycle of the battery and how to properly dispose of it as it is not environmentally friendly.
“With the issue at hand, a lot of car companies are doing research on how to recycle the battery that contains lithium to become a waste product that doesn’t pollute the environment,” he said.
He said this when officiating at the PEKEMA-Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Energy EV Adoption Event here yesterday (Jan 31).
The Premier commended PEKEMA which is reportedly on the right track following the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030.
“I hope that PEKEMA will one day explore producing renewable aviation fuel,” he said.
Abang Johari also expressed his hope that PEKEMA together with SEDC could produce skilled workforce capable of doing maintenance of the EV’s motor.
“The motor used in the EV is different from a compression engine. Therefore, we need technicians who can repair it if there is damage.
“This can become a specialized field of training. As a suggestion, the organisations can cooperate with universities to produce skilled technicians which will help in this matter,” he said.
