KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) is committed to assisting the domestic aerospace sector’s recovery from the adverse impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as maintaining the competitiveness of local companies in the global arena.
Miti Deputy Minister Datuk Lim Ban Hong said to this end, several measures and initiatives have been taken via the National Aerospace Industry Coordinating Office and relevant agencies, including the deployment of aerospace manpower in the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sub-sector to other high-skilled sectors.
It also includes skills upgrading training programmes for the affected workers as well as addressing the supply chain continuity crisis raised by original equipment manufacturers, global aerospace players and international airlines.
“Malaysia’s aerospace value chain was also affected, with sales declining to RM11.6 billion in 2020 from RM16.7 billion in 2019.
“The MRO subsector was the biggest contributor to the aersopace industry in 2019 with sales totalling RM7.97 billion, but this had contracted to RM4.93 billion in 2020,” he said.
He said this in reply to an oral question from Datuk Ignatius Darell Leiking (Warisan-Penampang) on plans for the sector’s recovery, especially for the MRO subsector.
The MRO subsector is one of the five main subsectors in Malaysia’s aerospace industry.
Lim said Miti is also committed to attracting investments to the aerospace sector under the National Investment Aspirations (NIA) framework.
“We will also see the utilisation of the hangar at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (Subang Airport) under the NIA, the 12th Malaysia Plan and the Malaysia Aerospace Industry Blueprint 2030,” he added. – Bernama
