Electric pedal-assisted bikes for varsities

The government funded initiative is to promote Green mobility among university students through distributing electric pedal-assisted bicycles.

The region is certainly experiencing a boom in the green technology and environmental solutions. Today, the International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM) was launched with some 400 booths showcasing the prospects of the green technology sector.

The even was officiated by the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Maximus Johnity Ongkili. He spoke about improvements in the Malaysian higher education institutions as his ministry is collaborating with the ministry of higher education to promote environmental solutions in universities.

Part of the initiative is to promote green mobility among Malaysian youth. The minister launched the Sikal Elektrik Rakyat 1Malaysia (SER1M), a government funded programme to supply 50 electric pedal-assisted bicycles (EPAB) for each of the following universities: Universiti Tenaga Malaysia (UNITEN), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Malaysia Sabah, and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

The government has always instilled the importance of environmental issues and green technology in education to encourage the younger generation to lead a greener lifestyle.

“One such effort is the establishment of Yayasan Hijau, a foundation under the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water that aids in inculcating green education to primary school students through informative lectures and incorporating green technology in school syllabi,” says Ongkili.

With green technology being at the forefront of IGEM in line with its theme, Green Business for Sustainability -  the need for skills training in this field is crucial especially Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) programmes.

“The Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia which comprises of 5 levels also covers green technology areas such as green energy, insulation, battery management, latent power and many more under the green tech syllabus. This is a specialised skill training programme for individuals who would like to get further training in fields such as green technology,” says Ir Ahmad Hadri Haris, Chief Executive Officer of GreenTech Malaysia who was also present at the event.

Moreover, the event featured the announcement of installing charging stations in Petronas service stations nationwide allowing electric vehicles to charge on the go. GreenTech Malaysia and PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad have signed a partnership to deploy the ChargEV.

The event had a strong participation in both its exhibitions and the conference and have featured the presence of the Ministry of Higher Education.

About IGEM:

Conceived in the year 2010, the IGEM series was positioned to take the lead and gather industry players and professionals from the public and private sectors (local & international) to explore and grasp the lucrative opportunities in the green market.

IGEM 2016 is the 7th in its series and shall continue to drive the green industry in Malaysia, as well as keeping it in sync with the most current innovations and initiatives in the market. IGEM’s ultimate goal is towards positioning Malaysia as a Green Technology Hub for the ASEAN Region.

Bearing the theme “Green Business for Sustainability”, IGEM 2016 focused on five key areas:

• Green Energy
• Green Transport
• Green Building
• Waste Technology & Management
• Clean Water Technology & Management