MyAV Test Site — Malaysia's First Autonomous Vehicle Regulatory Proving Ground in Putrajaya

Putrajaya is not just Malaysia’s seat of government — it is a live proving ground for one of the most consequential transport technologies of our era. As one of five nationally designated Autonomous Vehicle (AV) testing routes under the MyAV (My Autonomous Vehicle) regulatory experiment administered by Futurise, Putrajaya has been at the forefront of Malaysia’s journey toward intelligent, autonomous public mobility since 2019.

eMooVit Technology Sdn Bhd earned the distinction of becoming Malaysia’s first company to pioneer AV pilot testing under the MyAV framework — transforming Putrajaya’s streets into a controlled, real-world laboratory for the future of driverless transport.

What is the MyAV Test Site?

MyAV is Malaysia’s national regulatory sandbox for autonomous vehicle development, governed by Futurise under the National Regulatory Sandbox (NRS) framework. It supports industry players by providing a structured, legally sanctioned environment for AV technology testing, removing regulatory ambiguity while safeguarding public safety.

Futurise led the development of Malaysia’s first AV testing guidelines — in collaboration with MARii, Majlis Perbandaran Sepang (MPS), JPJ, APAD, MiROS, and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia — which were endorsed by the Ministry of Transport with the first AV testing route approval in Cyberjaya in December 2020.

The programme operates across three pillars:

• Regulatory Testing — A safe, gazetted route for technical validation of AV systems under real road conditions
• Talent Training — Developing Malaysia’s human capital in autonomous vehicle systems engineering
• Tech Advancements — Accelerating localised innovation in sensor fusion, AI navigation, and V2X communication

Putrajaya’s Role: From 5G Pioneer to Full AV Route

April 2019 — Malaysia’s First 5G-Connected Autonomous Car

During the 5G Malaysia Showcase hosted in Putrajaya, eMooVit demonstrated a 5G-connected driverless Proton Exora navigating public roads autonomously — one of Malaysia’s earliest public demonstrations of connected autonomous vehicle technology. The demonstration was powered by Celcom’s 5G network (in partnership with Ericsson), leveraging ultra-low latency for real-time vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

This milestone positioned Putrajaya as a testbed for both 5G and AV convergence — years before most countries had established comparable live demonstration environments.

2020–2024 — Formal AV Route Designation

Building on the 2019 demonstration, Putrajaya was formally incorporated as an official MyAV Testing Route — one of five across Malaysia. The Putrajaya route extends along Persiaran Perdana, the ceremonial boulevard connecting Putrajaya Sentral to the core government precinct — providing a representative, mixed-traffic urban environment for realistic AV system validation.

2024 — Scale-Up to Autonomous Electric Bus

eMooVit’s trials in Putrajaya evolved from a passenger car to a full-scale Autonomous Electric Bus (AEV) — completing Phase 1 technical testing (May–June 2024) and Phase 2 public passenger trials (November 2024 – January 2025). A total of 263 passengers participated in the UTM-supervised study, recording an overall positive attitude score of 4.42/5.00.

Why 5G is the Backbone of Safe Autonomous Transit

As underscored by the Minister of Digital’s address at the 5G Use Case Demonstration on Autonomous Bus (September 2024), 5G is not merely a speed upgrade — it is a structural enabler of safe autonomous mobility:

• Ultra-Low Latency: Enables real-time communication between the autonomous vehicle and a remote control centre, allowing remote driving takeover in emergency situations
• Route Optimisation: Real-time data exchange between vehicles and infrastructure reduces traffic congestion and improves service punctuality
• Enhanced Safety: 5G-enabled CCTVs, passenger infotainment, and broadband internet connectivity within the vehicle cabin improve both safety monitoring and passenger experience
• Data Intelligence for Planning: Autonomous vehicles generate rich data on passenger volumes, pedestrian flows, and traffic patterns — empowering Perbadanan Putrajaya to make evidence-based decisions on bus stop sizing, cycling lane design, and road policy

National and Regional Significance

The Putrajaya autonomous bus initiative was selected as one of 40 5G use cases to be showcased during Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, affirming Putrajaya’s status as a symbol of Malaysia’s digital ambition on the regional stage.

Malaysia’s 5G network, deployed by Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), now covers 82% of populated areas — providing the necessary backbone for AV connectivity at scale. As the Government accelerates 5G enterprise adoption across oil & gas, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation sectors, Putrajaya’s MyAV test site stands as a flagship proof of concept for this national digital infrastructure.