KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Malaysian aerospace companies should venture into manufacturing their own aircraft platforms and avionics, said Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc (Tusas) president and chief executive officer Prof Temel Kotil.
He said Malaysia has immense potential in doing so, given its industries have been at the forefront of electrical and electronic fields, as well as manufacturing, in the region.
“Due to the country’s defence needs, Malaysian companies should do more in terms of investment in helicopter and aircraft manufacturing.
“The success (in the field) should shift to specific products such as avionics. Big companies could build platforms, but Malaysian companies should tap into opportunities in manufacturing the sub-components,” he said to Bernama, on the sideline of the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security (NATSEC) Asia 2024 exhibition, here, today.
Kotil said that Tusas is keen to expand its engineering divisions and assist Malaysian companies to participate in the aerospace industry.
“Turkish Aerospace are utilising Malaysia’s engineering capabilities, but the locals (Malaysians) should focus on making platforms for aircraft, and helicopters, for the country’s and regional needs,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tusas Malaysia Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Mohd Shahiman Sulaiman said that it is actively engaging with Malaysian companies towards that end.
“Currently, we are working with 50 companies in Malaysia, and this is only the second year; we are looking for more. The 50 are Tier 2 and Tier 3 companies, and this year we are targeting a few Tier 1 companies,” he said.
He also highlighted that the government’s focus on empowering Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI), is a good avenue to increase the potential of Malaysia’s aerospace industry. — Bernama
