He said his ministry was currently going through over 20 proposals submitted by industry players and stakeholders to ensure that the needs of the industry would be taken care of.

“Right now, we are reviewing proposals from industry players on the third national car as well as the larger NAP review,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Kuala Lumpur International Automotive Conference 2018.

He said NAP 2019 would focus more on the advancement of electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles and the necessary ecosystem.

However, he denied that the delay in the review, which was initially slated for completion by the end of 2018, was due to the third national car.

He said it was part and parcel of the consultation process, irrespective of the inclusion of the third national car project as a component of the policy revision.

During his keynote address earlier, Ong said the major challenge of the third national car project lay in its financial sustainability.

“My ministry has developed a matrix to analyse and evaluate these proposals.

“One of the deciding factors will be the financial sustainability of the project as the government will not be funding this third national car project, as noted in Budget 2019,” he said.

In a press conference afterwards, Malaysian Automotive Association president Aishah Ahmad voiced hope that the Pakatan Harapan government would continue the efforts in NAP 2014, which focused on energy efficient vehicles (EEV).

She said this had been well received judging by the number of hybrid vehicles on the road.

Adding that this could be a way forward for the industry, she urged the government to pursue long-term policies and conduct further consultations with local industry players.

“They are talking more about the fourth industrial revolution and future technology. This is good, but we would also like for them to continue with the emphasis on EEV in NEP 2014 which has helped the industry.”