KUALA LUMPUR (May 11): Malaysia is targeting to achieve Level 3 autonomous driving capability by 2030, according to Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Sim Tze Tzin. Level 3 automation allows a vehicle to drive itself in certain conditions, but the driver must be ready to take over when needed. He said the government wants the industry to begin preparing for the transition, including positioning local companies as suppliers of chips, sensors and software linked to autonomous driving systems. “Our local vendors will need to upgrade their capabilities, while local authorities and the Public Works Department (JKR) must also improve road conditions and supporting infrastructure, including road signs and related facilities. This is a whole-of-nation effort,” he told reporters on Monday on the sidelines of the 2nd Asean Automotive and Mobility Conference organised by PwC Malaysia. According to standards developed by SAE International, autonomous driving systems are categorised into six levels, ranging from Level 0, where there is no driving automation, to Level 5, which represents full self-driving capability under all conditions. “I think this is where the conversation needs to begin because we are still too focused on manufacturing traditional vehicles, while Malaysia has yet to seriously start discussing autonomous driving, which is something I intend to push for,” he said, adding that the government agency Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute would be tasked with advancing the initiative moving forward. To facilitate the transition, Sim said autonomous driving would require major changes across multiple sectors, including semiconductor design, software development, sensor manufacturing and infrastructure upgrades. “Autonomous driving involves significant changes across the entire ecosystem. Car manufacturing will require more chips, software and sensors,” he said. Sim said autonomous driving is growing rapidly, especially in the US, where the technology has expanded from about four cities last year