SHAH ALAM, Sept 11 — Malaysia must strengthen its local aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities to reduce reliance on overseas facilities for aircraft component repairs, said National Aerospace Industry Corporation (NAICO) chief executive officer Shamsul Kamar Abu Samah.
He pointed out that this could shorten turnaround time, improve competitiveness and lower costs, while creating opportunities for local and foreign small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in Malaysia.
Shamsul said the growth of the MRO sector, especially engine and component maintenance, presented a major opportunity for the country to deepen its aerospace ecosystem by developing more companies to support major MRO players.
“Most of our engine components are being shipped out of Malaysia for servicing or repair. What we need to do is to attract more local companies to establish themselves in these areas to support MRO organisations, especially the (major players),” he said during a phone interview with Media Selangor recently.
Shamsul said while Malaysia may not be able to undertake every type of repair locally, it should seek to localise as many activities as possible, whether through local companies or foreign SMEs in the country.
“Not everything can be done in Malaysia. So, we need to localise as many activities as possible.”
He added that while Malaysia has attracted several global aerospace companies and MRO expansion projects in recent years, its existing ecosystem needed to be further strengthened to support the sector’s next phase of growth.
Besides bringing in more quality investment, Shamsul said more local and foreign SMEs are needed to complement existing firms.
According to him, the next stage of MRO development should also involve advanced technologies such as composite repair, 3D printing, advanced machining, automation and robotics, rather than relying predominantly on traditional, hands-on processes.
He said advanced manufacturing technologies could be applied to component repair, enabling Malaysia to handle more complex work locally and elevate its MRO capabilities.
18,000 more workers needed
Shamsul said NAICO expects the expansion of MRO and aerospace manufacturing to drive strong demand for skilled talent, with the sector projected to require about 18,000 more workers over the next five years.
However, he said the industry’s future workforce would need to possess higher-level technical and digital capabilities.
Among others, he said, workers must move beyond hands-on technical skills and develop capabilities in programming, process redesign and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and analytical tools.
He added that the shift towards higher-skilled talent and greater use of technology would be critical for Malaysia to improve productivity, reduce turnaround time, maintain quality and remain competitive.
In Selangor, which accounts for close to 70 per cent of Malaysia’s aerospace activities, Shamsul said the concentration of aerospace companies and engineering capabilities provided a strong foundation for the state to serve as a catalyst for the sector’s further development.
“Most of the activities are being carried out in Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya and Sepang, so we need to expand these activities, because having stronger engineering (capabilities) will enable us to undertake higher-value activities or (develop more) complex products.”
He added that developing facilities and infrastructure, including the regeneration of Subang Airport and the development of aerospace hubs in Sepang and Subang, would be crucial to attracting higher-value investments and building a more integrated aerospace cluster.
According to Shamsul, the objective should ultimately be to establish a complete ecosystem where aerospace companies could source more services and capabilities locally, while Malaysian SMEs could also develop the capacity to serve international markets.
