MRO Growth Creates Demand For Skilled Workers, Military Retirees Among Ideal Talent - Loke

PUTRAJAYA, June 4 (Bernama) -- Rapid growth in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, along with increased investment in the business aviation sector, is expected to drive demand for skilled workers, with Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) veterans seen as among the best suited to meet industry needs.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Malaysia is attracting growing investment in the sector, particularly in Subang, which is emerging as a regional hub for MRO and business aviation.

“The more aircraft we have, the more MRO is needed and the more technicians are required. We are also attracting significant investment in private jets and business aviation. Many foreign companies are investing in Subang and setting up their MRO facilities there.”

He said this to reporters after attending the event marking the strategic collaboration between the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) for the Empowerment of TVET among MAF personnel here today.

The minister said Malaysia has a competitive advantage in operating costs, as well as existing infrastructure, enabling it to position itself as an MRO hub not only for the domestic market but also for ASEAN and the wider region.

Loke said the inflow of new investments will increase demand for highly skilled workers, while MAF retirees possess technical experience and competencies that can be readily utilised by industry.

“The fastest group that can meet this demand is military retirees because they already have the necessary skill sets. They only require minimal additional training before they can be absorbed into the industry,” he said.

As such, he believed that the MOT-MINDEF TVET initiative also creates opportunities to utilise the skills of retired servicemen across various transport subsectors, including air, sea and land.

“There is strong synergy between MOT and MINDEF because the skill sets required in the transport sector are already present among military retirees.

“From defence to civilian sectors, the competencies are very similar,” he said.

In fact, he said MAF retirees with experience operating trucks and heavy vehicles will be assisted in obtaining a Class E driving licence at no additional cost through a streamlined conversion process from military licences.

He said the cost of obtaining such a licence typically ranges between RM4,000 and RM5,000.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said around 5,000 MAF personnel retire each year, with more than 4,000 of them aged around 39 and above and still in their productive working years.

He said transition programmes managed by the Armed Forces Veterans Affairs Corporation (PERHEBAT) are being restructured to better meet industry needs, thereby improving employment opportunities for future retirees.

He added that personnel undergoing pre-retirement transition periods continue to receive government salaries, as it forms part of their service.

“They are still being paid because the transition period is part of their pre-retirement service. It does not involve additional allocations but uses existing government salary payments,” he said.

Mohamed Khaled said the transition period lasts one year, including six months of industrial training, before personnel are absorbed into companies requiring skilled labour.

“Once employed, companies will pay their salaries, and at the same time they will continue receiving the pensions they are entitled to,” he said.

-- BERNAMA