Anwar Says Tesla Set Up Malaysian Headquarters Due To Political Stability

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reiterated that electric car maker Tesla’s decision to set up its Malaysian headquarters was due to the political stability brought about by the unity government. 

“When the unity government came about, there is political stability … When the political climate is stable, people are sure to come,” said Mr Anwar during the opening ceremony of a Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) carnival. 

He noted that Tesla and SpaceX chief executive officer Elon Musk had reached out to him for a meeting whereas requests by a former Malaysian minister to meet the tech billionaire were allegedly ignored. “Elon Musk is the richest person in the world. Elon Musk is richer than countries. It is quite difficult to bring him in. But once we became stable, I didn’t ask to talk to him; he asked to talk to me,” he said.

“So, using video conferencing, he immediately mentioned (that this year), Tesla will open its headquarters in Cyberjaya, Selangor.” Anwar also said that the frequent changes in prime ministers deterred potential investors from Malaysia. Separately, Mr Anwar said on Thursday that the opening of Tesla’s headquarters in Malaysia will create thousands of job opportunities for the younger generation. 

“When he comes (and) opens offices, companies and factories for the new electric vehicles, we can take tens and thousands of our children to work (there),” he said. 

On Jul 14, Mr Anwar said that he welcomed the electric vehicle maker’s decision to invest in Malaysia and stated the government’s support for the opening of the Tesla head office in Selangor.

This after a 25-minute meeting virtual meeting with Musk that was attended by Malaysia’s International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil and SpaceX senior director Lauren Dreyer.