S’wak aspires to own satellite tech, sets up Space Industry and Satellite Committee to lead exploration

Julaihi (seated centre) together with Liwan (left) and Dr Abdul Rahman during a press conference after a briefing on satellite technology by Measat at a hotel on Aug 2, 2024.

By Karen Bong

KUCHING, Aug 2: Sarawak aspires to own and manage its satellite technology, and for that, a new task force committee, known as the Space Industry and Satellite Committee (SISCOM), has been established to concentrate on exploring promising technologies to enhance the region’s digital capabilities.

Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi emphasised that this initiative aligned with Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg’s vision for the space industry and satellite technology.

“The committee is responsible for developing a comprehensive policy framework and establishing a governance structure, among others, with the aim to create a robust ecosystem to support the growth and application of satellite technology across various sectors in Sarawak.

“The aspiration is to own and manage Sarawak’s satellite technology assets in the future. This is the dream that the Sarawak government wants to achieve. Hopefully, it will materialise. Thus, it is important we have a thorough understanding of this field,” he told a press conference after attending a briefing session on satellite technology by Malaysia East Asia Satellite (Measat) at a hotel here today.

Julaihi highlighted that deploying satellite technology has the potential to spur economic growth and advancement in Sarawak, a region with many areas yet to be fully connected due to its vast geographical expanse.

“With the right infrastructure and technology, Sarawak will be able to achieve a developed and advanced status by 2030, in line with the Post-Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) and Sarawak Digital Economy Blueprint 2030. These are some of the technologies we are currently exploring,” he added.

Julaihi stressed the importance of knowledge for the government and key stakeholders to make well-informed, strategic decisions regarding its planning and implementation of space industry and satellite technology initiatives.

“We must be knowledgeable. We must study the details and technology in depth if we want to explore the space industry and satellite technology in the near future. It is our hope to own space assets one day,” he said.

The committee, chaired by the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication (MUT) with Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) as the secretariat, has, in fact, met once since it was formed recently, with discussions that commenced on matters of interest related to the space industry.

The committee also comprises members from all relevant Sarawak agencies, such as the Land and Survey Department and Sarawak Attorney General’s Chambers. It is currently inviting key technology players to join as members, especially those actively involved in the space sector and already owned assets, including Measat.

Deputy Minister of Telecommunication Datuk Liwan Lagang, Deputy Minister of Utility Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, and SMA general manager Dato Dr Anderson Tiong were present. — DayakDaily