ELECTRIC BUS PILOT PROJECT PLANNED IN KOTA KINABALU IN MID-YEAR

KOTA KINABALU, April 10 -- Warisan Harta Sabah Sdn Bhd (WHS) is scheduled to start an electric bus pilot project in Kota Kinabalu for a period of six months starting mid-year.

WHS executive director Mohd Shukor Abdul Mumin said for the pilot project, WHS, an investment arm of the Sabah state government, is expected to receive between 100 to 200 units of electric buses.

He said the existing bus operators need not worry as the electric bus service would not affect their income but would give more advantages to the conventional bus service.

"We will explain to bus operators that their income will not decrease... there is no need to worry but it will increase. What we want is to reduce congestion (in the city) and pollution," he said.

He said this to reporters after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between WHS and three companies, namely Gemilang Coachworks Sdn Bhd (GML) which is also the manufacturer of the electric bus, EPost and Go Auto Group at the Sabah International Convention Centre here today.

The MoU signing was witnessed by WHS chairman Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak and WHS was represented by CEO Ahmad Rizal Dahli while GML was represented by managing director Pang Chong Yong, Epost was represented by managing director Tobin Ng with chief operating officer Mandy Chan, and Go Auto Group was represented by its executive chairman Datuk SM Azli Nasimuddin Kamal and executive director Farok Maasom.

Mohd Shukor said that through the collaboration with Epost, WHS created online purchases of local products operated by Kojasa Mart which offered lower prices as well as quality products.

"It (price) is at least five to 10 per cent lower than the market price besides reducing the role of middlemen which is one of the reasons why the price of goods cannot be lowered," he said, adding that Kojasa Mart warehouses are located at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) with sales outlets in Inanam besides other districts including Lahad Datu, Tawau and Sandakan.

Meanwhile in collaboration with Go Auto Group, Mohd Shukor said the company would issue funds while WHS would provide the infrastructure including the necessities needed in a collaboration in the field of logistics. 

He said WHS was currently looking for a suitable location with an estimated 20,234 hectares for Go Auto to operate in an effort to reduce logistics costs and at the same time also provide suitable employment opportunities for locals.

He said the MoU with the three local companies was carried out under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) which was worth more than RM200 million and set in the Industrial Revolution 4.0.

-- BERNAMA