KUALA LUMPUR: Transport Minister Anthony Loke witnessed the exchange of 17 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and agreements involving the rail, road and maritime sectors.
The MOUs, part of efforts to boost innovation and develop Malaysia's transport and rail industries, were signed at the Transport Expo Asia (TXA) 2026 here on Wednesday (Oct 21).
Thirteen are related to the rail sector, while four involve the road and maritime sectors.
"Today, MOUs were signed between industry players and also local universities to foster joint research and development (R&D), helping commercialise research outputs by local institutions," Loke told the media.
"Even in land transport, many safety features are the direct result of R&D from our local universities.
"We also have various competitions organised in conjunction with TXA. For instance, Shell is running a competition for university students to develop solutions for road safety issues, to refine these solutions and potentially commercialise them into market-ready products."
Loke said the rail-focused MOUs would support the government's efforts to develop the domestic industry by strengthening local supply chains and increasing participation by Malaysian companies in manufacturing, assembly and maintenance.
The MOUs involved, among others, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd and Japan's Keio Juuki Seibi on train maintenance, MRTS and Tenaga Nasional Berhad on solar energy and EV charging infrastructure, as well as collaborations involving Universiti Malaya and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia.
Loke said he did not have details on the total value of the MOUs and agreements, as they were largely strategic collaborations and joint research partnerships.
On the exhibition itself, he said response to TXA 2026 had been encouraging, with nearly 5,000 visitors recorded since its opening on Tuesday (Oct 20).
