MOSTI drafting space bill to regulate space industry

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 -- The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) is in the process of drafting a Space Bill (RUU) to regulate the space industry in Malaysia.

Its deputy minister,  Ahmad Amzad Hashim said the absence of a law on the space industry has caused Malaysia to lag behind compared with other countries that have signed various space agreements.

"Due to time constraints and some improvements in the bill, it could not be tabled at the last sitting of the Dewan Rakyat.

“As such, we hope that the bill can be tabled soon so that we have laws to regulate the space industry, especially regarding licensing and permission to launch satellites,” he said after opening the World Space Week 2020 at the National Planetarium today.

At the event, Ahmad Amzad also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Malaysian Astronautics Association (AstroX), National Planetarium, Malaysian Scout Federation, Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology (UniKL MIAT) and Malaysia Space Initiatives (MiSI) for the setting up of a consortium known as Spacevio.

Spacevio, the acronym for Volunteering Involving Organisations for Space, was set up to develop a space community in Malaysia.

AstroX founder and former national astronaut candidate, Captain Faiz Kamaludin, hoped that with the signing of the MoU, it would further develop the space industry by instilling awareness on space science in the community through workshops, webinars and virtual activities.

-- BERNAMA