Dewan Rakyat goes into overdrive in drone vs flying car debate

KUALA LUMPUR: A heated debate erupted in the Dewan Rakyat when Entrepreneur and Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof tried to explain the term "flying car".

Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) said that "the whole world calls it a drone" and asked why it was known here as the flying car.

To this, Redzuan said,"Call it whatever you like... drone, flying car, or aero vehicle, it is all about air mobility.

"Most importantly, if you look at the National Entrepreneurship Policy 2030, among our main thrusts is to develop the aviation, aerospace and air mobility sector," he said during Question Time in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 20).

"I am happy to say that today the government has started a programme to train our youths on using drones... unmanned carrier vehicles or whatever you want to call it; whatever narrative you want to bring, drone, flying car, vector, unmanned aerial vehicle," said Redzuan.

Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (BN-Lenggong) interjected, and asked the Minister whether the drones were from China.

Tajuddin then stood up, saying with a hint of sarcasm that the drone was a product from China and local youths were "merely assembling the vehicle".

Redzuan said the Opposition MPs could call it whatever they liked, but the government had provided a platform to train the youth with the necessary skills to develop drone technology.

Shamsul then advised the minister to stop explaining, as the more he tried to defend the "flying car", the more he became a laughing stock.

"Minister, the more you speak, the more Malaysians are laughing at you," said Shamsul.

"It is all right, I am not embarrassed. I am just trying to enlightened them," replied Redzuan.

Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof then intervened and asked the sceptical Opposition lawmakers to take up Redzuan's invitation and tag along with him to test the flying car.