An opposition MP has questioned if the satellite programme RazakSat-2 is another government mega project destined for planet doom.

Replying to his questions on the status of RazakSat-2 in Parliament yesterday, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim said Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah revealed that the programme was now at the stage of "selecting technological partners" to work with Astronautic Technology Sdn Bhd.

The programme was announced two years ago.            

RazakSat-2 was a continuation of the RM142 million imaging satellite project, RazakSat-1 which was launched into space from Kwajalein Island on April 21, 2010.

Merely a year after that, the RazakSat-1 programme was terminated due to major failures.

australian councillors on psm six 240711 steven sim Among others, Sim ( right ) said, he was shocked by the deputy minister's revelation that the cost of RazakSat-2 had jumped to RM271.9 million.

When it was announced in 2011, RazakSat-2 was to cost  RM200 million, already more than a 40 percent  risw from that of RazakSat-1.

“Now the cost of RazakSat-2 has further increased by 35% to RM271.9 million.

"How come that even without any substantial work done since its announcement in 2011, the project cost increased another RM71.9 million?" asked Sim.

Launch date postponed

The DAP MP also quizzed the satellite's launch date, as revealed by Abu Bakar, being postponed to 2016.

"RazakSat-2 was announced in September 2011 by former minister of science, technology and innovation Maximus Ongkili and the satellite was scheduled to be completed by 2015.

"Two years have passed and now the government is telling us that they are still in search of technological partners to work with ATSB," he said.

"The deputy minister said that the satellite launch will be postponed to 2016 but looking at present stage it is in, it is doubtful that even this will actually happen," he added.

Ironically, Sim said, Singapore which announced its first commercial remote sensing satellite TeLEOS-1 early this year would launch the satellite into space by 2015.

In his 2011 report, the auditor-general stated that ATSB, which operated RazakSat-1, already sustained a loss of RM10.89 million in 2009 even before the satellite was shot into space.

The AG also said "an image of an area in Sungai Buloh and Subang was missed by 37 km and captured Kuala Selangor" even though the satellite was designed to capture images within 1km accuracy.