KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Wednesday said electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla Inc will open an office in the Southeast Asian country and establish a network of charging stations for its cars.

Tesla’s application to import battery-run EVs into Malaysia has been approved, and the company will also open showrooms and services centres, Malaysia’s trade ministry said in a statement.

The US firm’s presence in Malaysia is expected to create skilled jobs and increase participation of local companies in the Tesla ecosystem, the ministry said.

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Malaysia did not say when Tesla would open an office. Tesla, which is run by Elon Musk, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.