KUALA LUMPUR: The National Defence and Security Industry Policy (DIPKN) will be launched at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2023 (LIMA'23) scheduled to be held from May 23 to 27.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (pic) said DIPKN is an important policy for the industry which has good potential to be developed besides a bill related to the defence industry will also be tabled in Parliament.
"The defence industry is huge, (amounting to) billions of ringgit...so if we can succeed in getting it organised and managed well with an act in place, then the ministry is confident Malaysia can become a country that produces defence assets.
"Right now the situation is that everyone does its own thing. So this industry is not going anywhere. Many countries such as Indonesia, Turkey, Thailand, UAE (United Arab Emirates) already have their policies, there are agencies that are regulated by the government (and) that is why their industry is growing and developing," he said.
He was replying to a supplementary question by Senator Mohd Apandi Mohamad who wanted to know whether the national defence industry, especially the local industry, is capable of producing its own drones during the question and answer session at Dewan Negara today.
Mohamad said through the launch of DIPKN, besides helping the defence industry to be more systematic, it will also be a booster for the country's economic development.
"Since the 80s, billions of government money have been (invested) in the defence industry but not managed (well)... industrialists who can profit in the defence sector, are investing elsewhere, by becoming developers and so on.
"So when there is a policy and an act, we will determine the profit from the industry, with 30 to 40 per cent being ploughed back to the industry for the purpose of R&D (research and development)," he said.
The DIPKN that will be launched is the government's continuous effort to support the development of the national defence industry, he added. - Bernama
