Malaysia will have a technology to make its own satellite

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will have a technology to create and manufacture satellites in the future through a collaboration between the government and the private sector in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) Director General Azlikamil Napiah said efforts were underway to develop the country’s third remote sensing satellite.

He said Malaysia was currently heading towards the direction by announcing a Request for Proposal (RFP) opened on May 18.

Although Malaysia has been using space technology for a long time, he said the innovation cluster and manufacturing were still at the early stage.

“We want the technology to be in the country, that it would be made here.

“Thus, this would provide job opportunities for the people in the country.

"Currently, the country still depends on international capabilities to access the space system. Therefore, the development of expertise and knowledge must be implemented through cooperation with external parties.

"The transfer of advanced space technologies such as the satellite technology, launchers, antenna systems and artificial intelligence technology in big data processing for the development of expertise in local industries could be implemented through a collaboration with top agencies in the developed countries in the spacefaring nation field," he said in an exclusive interview with Sinar Ahad.

Meanwhile, Azlikamil said the government has been focusing more on the activities in the downstream industry where the country only acts as a consumer.

However, he did not rule out the possibility of the country running out of information if suppliers no longer wanted to supply the data in the future.

“We get the data and use it, but to a certain extent, if the suppliers no longer want to supply the data, we will run out of information and will no longer be able to carry out the applications development that is being implemented.

“Therefore, we want to move from being consumers, to being the manufacturers, creators and service providers. This is the chain that we are trying to develop.

“To develop it, not only that we need the right policy, but we need a legislation that could support the growth of the industry.

"This is the Malaysian Space Board Act 2022 ” he said.

He added that the implementation of the Act has seen an increase in foreign investors' interest in Malaysia, especially to develop space-related technologies.