SABAH SPACE PROJECT TO SET MALAYSIA APART IN ASEAN TECHNOLOGY – UKRAINIAN ECONOMY MINISTER

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- The highly anticipated space launching site in Sabah would place Malaysia as ASEAN’s leading country in the region in terms of technology advancement, said Ukraine deputy economy minister Taras Kachka.

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

"So 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 told a media conference here, today.

Last year, the Sabah government inked an agreement with an 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 progress of the feasibility study, Kachka said there would be different considerations to be addressed, such as economic viability, environmental issues, and long-term benefits.

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

"Secondly, the government and companies should have enough resources, expertise and trained workforce," he said.

-- BERNAMA