By Danial Dzulkifly
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Selangor’s aerospace players are told to consider relocating and consolidating their operations at the Selangor Aerospace Park (SAP) to create a comprehensive ecosystem, said state executive councillor for Islam and innovation Dr Fahmi Ngah.
He said the move would not only streamline operations but also position Selangor in meeting its goals in becoming a regional aviation hub.
“SAP is a project that will create a complete support ecosystem for aerospace manufacturing, from the smallest screw to the largest aircraft wing.
“All of this will be developed, but it requires multiple supporting industries. Aerospace isn’t something you can just build. It has to be tested, qualified, and assembled. SAP is about building that ecosystem,” he said when met on the sidelines of the Internet of Things (IoT) Enabled Industrial Park (IEIP) launch here on October 9.
The launch was held under the Selangor Investment and Industrial Park Expo (SPARK) 2025, in conjunction with the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) 2025 from October 8 to 11.
Fahmi stated that SAP already has one anchor tenant, GE Aerospace, and expressed hope of attracting more industry players to the park.
“If we can consolidate, especially next to KLIA, it will be easier for flight testing, moving parts and assembly. It will create a very strong base to trigger innovation in the civilian aerospace industry,” he said.
He cautioned that the industry is currently fragmented, despite Selangor already hosting around 65 per cent of Malaysia’s aerospace ecosystem.
Fahmi also spoke about the potential for Asean to one day launch its own civil aircraft programme, drawing parallels with Airbus’ collaborative model across Europe.
“I think there is potential for Asean to develop a civil aircraft programme, something like Airbus.
“For example, Airbus has wings made in England, fuselage in Germany, tail in Spain, and final assembly in France. If Asean were to do it, it would need financing and agreement among member states,” he said.
He pointed out that subsidies were key in enabling Airbus to compete with Boeing, suggesting that Asean governments would need similar political will to make such a project viable.
However, Fahmi stressed that Selangor and Malaysia must first build capabilities in designing and manufacturing parts.
“We should not only look at Airbus and Boeing, perhaps we should open our minds to China and Russia too. If we can make screws for Airbus, why not for Comac or Sukhoi? There are opportunities there,” he said.
