SHAH ALAM, Dec 21 — Selangor is among the first states to pioneer the development of the drone industry ecosystem with its Selangor State Drone Action Plan, said state executive councillor for Islam and innovation Dr Fahmi Ngah.
He said the action plan is led by Selangor Aviation and Technology Innovations Sdn Bhd (SELATI) as the secretariat, with the membership of several renowned aerospace agencies.
“In this drone action plan, we have agencies like the Malaysia Aerospace Industry Association (MAIA), National Aerospace Industry Corporation (Naico), and Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
“This action plan will be the centre and will look into the state’s need for drone use, such as for wildfires, coastal erosion, unplanned developments, and the like.
“We will then offer (grants) to external companies to explore solutions and appropriate drone technology applications. It’s like a matchmaker,” Fahmi told Media Selangor.
He added that the state government provides grants to the industry to explore more sophisticated drone use and improve existing expertise.
He explained that the action plan will present a cost-saving element to agencies and local councils involved, as well as controls in drone technology use.
“We will meet with local councils to identify cases that need drone services. We will offer an initial fund of RM500,000 to implement this action plan from next year,” Fahmi said.
In the 2024 Selangor Budget, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari announced that the state government had earmarked RM2 million to explore and develop drone technology.
Amirudin had said that the effort would be undertaken under SELATI to make Selangor among the foremost drone development hubs in Southeast Asia.
