JINJU: Malaysia is ready to collaborate with other nations that are willing to share technology and assist in the development of its defence industry, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Defence Minister said that realising this focus does not necessarily mean Malaysia must become a producer of defence assets like other developing nations. Instead, the country will focus on offering a variety of service platforms within the defence industry.
He added that Malaysia could position itself as a producer of components, providing service oversight and maintenance for all military assets, strengthening the country’s capabilities in service provision.
"As an example, we can offer maintenance and repair services for any type of aircraft globally, and this is the kind of service we can provide.
"So, when we talk about developing the local defence industry, it doesn’t mean that Malaysia will immediately start producing helicopters or aeroplanes, as this takes considerable time,” he told reporters after visiting Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) on Thursday (Sept 12).
Mohamed Khaled further explained that countries advanced in the defence industry, particularly in aerospace, took a significant amount of time before they began producing their own defence assets, such as fighter jets.
"For example, it took Turkiye 50 years to become a defence asset producer, while South Korea took over 20 to 30 years to become a manufacturer of various defence assets.
"Therefore, the government’s current focus is more on carrying out maintenance, repair and overhaul services, component manufacturing and concentrating on defence technology and assets,” he said.
He also noted that in South Korea, AI technology is being widely used to monitor and secure its borders, as well as to detect suspicious movements from countries with which it does not have good relations.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled paid a courtesy call on South Korea’s Minister of Defence Acquisition Programme Administration Seol Yong Gun on the sidelines of the Seoul Defence Dialogue (SDD) 2024, with the aim of strengthening existing defence ties between Malaysia and South Korea. – Bernama
