Loke said Putrajaya must consider the public’s socioeconomic situation before coming out with such a policy.

“A policy to scrap old cars would burden the people. In moving towards our sustainability goals, any policy we implement must consider the socioeconomic factor,” he told a press conference here today.

He said the government will instead focus on the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), starting with motorcycles, as they account for half of the 30 million vehicles on the road.

“Motorbikes are the largest contributors to emissions. We hope that the RM2,400 incentive for the public to purchase electric motorcycles, as announced in Budget 2024, will mark the beginning of a transition to e-motorbikes,” he said.

Earlier, Loke was present at the high-level 15th regional environmentally sustainable transport forum in Asia, officiated by deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof.

In August last year, the previous government announced its plan to implement the end-of-life vehicle management policy by 2025.

However, it received mixed reaction from the public, with some saying their old cars were still roadworthy and buying new cars would be unnecessary and a burden.