Sabah space project will set M'sia apart - Ukrainian deputy minister

The highly anticipated space launch site in Sabah would elevate Malaysia as Asean’s leading country in technological advancement, said Ukraine’s Economy Deputy Minister Taras Kachka.

He said the project would create more job opportunities and attract global talent, fuelling the growth of Malaysia’s aviation and aerospace industries.

“Every high-tech project not only creates job opportunities but also brings in technology. It keeps highly trained engineers within the country.

“If there is a space launching site here (in Malaysia), people from all over the world would come and participate in this project and (this would) place Malaysia in the position of (being) Asean’s technology leader,” he said.

Kachka (above) was speaking at a media conference in Kuala Lumpur, today.

Last year, the Sabah government inked an agreement with a Ukrainian and a local firm to study the feasibility of a space launch facility in the state.

Kachka, however, did not disclose the project’s investment cost.

On the feasibility study, he said there they would have to consider economic viability, environmental issues, and long-term benefits.

He hoped the Sabah government would have the political will to push for the space project.

Drone technology

Meanwhile, Kachka said Ukraine views Malaysia as a key entry point for expanding collaborations in Asean’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and drone sectors.

Noting Malaysia’s strong digital economy, he said the country is the most advanced in Asean concerning infrastructure, semiconductor spare parts supply, and skilled workers.

He said discussions on potential collaborations are ongoing between companies from both nations.

“The advancement of UAVs in Ukraine is naturally connected to defence and security, but (UAV usage) was (also) strong for civil purposes such as agriculture.

“Now, the usage of UAVs in Ukraine is so high that it grabs all the engineers’ resources... that is why the knowledge developed in Ukraine is used in Malaysia.

“That is why we are going to support the cooperation in this area since we need strong supply chains of spare parts. (Also) in terms of engineers’ development, that might be useful for modernising the products,” he said.

Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of Ukraine in Malaysia, Denys Mykhailiuk, also said Malaysian companies have shown strong interest in UAV technology, particularly for border surveillance in dense jungle areas, which are challenging for humans to patrol.

“We are not talking about the striking drones, which are more towards the military, but more to surveillance ones.”

Kachka, on a working visit to Malaysia from Oct 31 to Nov 2, co-chaired the inaugural Malaysia-Ukraine Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting with Deputy Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong.

They discussed key sectors, including agriculture, aerospace, sustainable palm oil, medical devices, and tourism.

- Bernama

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