NORTHPORT WINS “EXCELLENCE IN AUTOMOTIVE SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES” AWARD AT MCOTY 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, 17 January 2025 – Northport (Malaysia) Bhd (“Northport”), a member of MMC Group, was honoured with the “Excellence in Automotive Sustainability Management Best Practices” award at the 20th Malaysia Car of the Year (“MCOTY”) 2024. The prestigious award event, co-organised by Mobility Media Sdn. Bhd. and the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (“MARii”), an agency under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (“MITI”), was held at Perdana Hall, MITI Tower in Kuala Lumpur.

The award was presented by the Deputy Secretary General (Industry) of MITI, Datuk Hanafi Sakri to Northport’s Chief Executive Officer, Fakhrul Azhar Tajudin.

MCOTY is an annual award event that recognises excellence within Malaysia’s automotive industry. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, MCOTY 2024 aims to promote and celebrate innovation, safety and technological advancements in the rapidly evolving automotive sector. Winners were selected through a rigorous judging process conducted by a distinguished panel of experts, industry specialists and experienced journalists.

“It has been a wonderful start to 2025 for Northport to win the inaugural “Excellence in Automotive Sustainability Management Best Practices” award at MCOTY 2024. This award is a great honour for Northport, as it recognises our leadership in spearheading the development of the industry’s self-regulated Electric Vehicle and Battery Management (“EVBM”) Guidelines. As a port that plays a crucial role in the import and export of vehicles, particularly electric vehicles, it is vital for Northport to collaborate closely with key industry players to establish effective guidelines that support the sustainable growth of this sector. These EVBM Guidelines provide a clear and comprehensive framework for managing electric vehicles and their batteries safely and sustainably,” said Fakhrul.

The journey toward this achievement began on 14th February 2024, when Northport’s proposal for self-regulated guidelines for handling electric vehicle (“EV”) batteries was approved during the first National EV Steering Committee meeting, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof.

The development of the EVBM Guidelines involved extensive collaboration. A series of workshops, focus group discussions and public consultations were conducted with industry players, Government agencies and regulators. These sessions, jointly coordinated and facilitated by MITI, Malaysia Productivity Corporation (“MPC”), and MARii, ensured comprehensive coverage of all aspects of EV and battery management. The Guidelines address critical aspects associated with the handling of EVs and their batteries, covering both front-end processes, such as customer engagement, safety education, and battery care, as well as back-end processes including responsible manufacturing, transporting, storage, maintenance and disposal. This holistic approach ensures that all stages of the EV and battery lifecycle are managed effectively, promoting safety, extending battery life and minimizing environmental impact.

The EVBM Guidelines were successfully launched by the Secretary General of MITI, Dato’ Hairil Yahri Yaacob, during the Electric Vehicle and Battery Management Conference held in conjunction with the International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM) 2024 on 11 October 2024.

“This recognition is not just Northport’s achievement alone but a testament to the power of industry collaboration in fostering the growth of our nation’s automotive industry. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the distinguished panel of judges for this recognition, and extend our appreciation to MITI, MPC, MARii, other Government agencies and industry leaders who have contributed their expertise and time in developing these Guidelines. Together, we have shown that when industry stakeholders work together, we can create meaningful solutions that benefit both the automotive sector and our environment,” concluded Fakhrul.