MEASAT Satellite Systems has urged the government to prioritize sovereign space technology in Budget 2027 to boost national resilience and growth.
KUALA LUMPUR: MEASAT Satellite Systems (MEASAT) has urged the government to prioritise investment in sovereign space technology under Budget 2027 to strengthen Malaysia’s control over the country’s critical infrastructure and data.
MEASAT chief operating officer You Chyong Lim said this is important to enhance the country’s resilience, economic competitiveness and self-reliance, particularly as Malaysia enters the implementation phase of the Malaysia Space Exploration 2030 (MSE2030) programme for 2027 to 2030.
He said Malaysia’s space sector generated RM6.2 billion in revenue between 2017 and 2024, with the figure targeted to exceed RM10 billion by 2030.
“Budget 2027 can play an important role in translating this aspiration into sustainable economic growth, technological advancement and national resilience,” he said in a statement on MEASAT’s Budget 2027 wish list.
MEASAT also put forward five priorities, including recognising space assets and capabilities under Malaysian control as a national investment priority and taking sovereignty considerations into account in procurement for critical communications and national security applications.
The company also proposed establishing an investment framework aligned with the long development cycles of space infrastructure, as well as encouraging public-private partnerships in multi-orbit platforms and data systems.
MEASAT called for the adoption of integrated space technology applications by encouraging the integration of Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and terrestrial networks, as well as expanding the use of Earth observation, satellite Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics.
According to the statement, these technologies could be utilised in various fields, including disaster management, maritime monitoring, precision agriculture, rural healthcare and smart infrastructure development.
MEASAT also called for support for the development, testing and deployment of local space technology solutions, while encouraging collaboration among industry players, start-ups, universities and research institutions to strengthen the commercialisation of such technologies.
In addition, the company proposed strengthening industry-academia research and development (R&D), including the development of local expertise in engineering, data analytics, remote sensing, AI and space regulation.
— MORE
BUDGET-MEASAT 3 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR
MEASAT said Malaysia already had a strong foundation in the sector, including sovereign orbital rights, national spectrum resources, satellites and ground infrastructure, engineering expertise and regulatory capabilities.
“These priorities will leverage existing strengths while supporting the aspirations of MSE2030 and the National Space Policy 2030,” it said.
In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the launch of MEASAT-1 and MEASAT-2 this year, MEASAT also expressed its commitment to continuing to support Malaysia’s entire space technology value chain, encompassing talent development, R&D, design, manufacturing, launch, operations, support services and commercialisation.
