KUALA LUMPUR — Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari is urging Asean nations to consider a bold, collective effort to develop its own regional aircraft.
Speaking at the Selangor Aerospace Roundtable Meeting with diplomatic heads, he said this can be achieved by leveraging the bloc’s growing population and considering the increasing strategic importance of the aerospace industry.
“With a population of 680 million, which is projected to surpass 700 million by 2032, I think Asean should have a collective moonshot of building an aircraft,” he said in his speech here today.
“That was how Airbus began, as individual firms across Europe looked at American companies like Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed Martin and said ‘We should compete’, so they got together to form a consortium that led to the creation of Airbus Industrie, initially involving firms from France and Germany, and later joined by Spanish and British companies.”
Amirudin said while Airbus and Boeing have long dominated the market, the world is seeing the rise of more aircraft manufacturers, including Brazil’s Embraer and China’s Comac.
Earlier, he shared insights from a previous meeting with business leaders on a proposal for a new aerospace strategy that aligns with Malaysia’s role as Asean chair, saying the industry carries strategic significance far beyond ordinary manufacturing.
With global air travel aiming to surpass the pre-Covid-19 peak, he noted that it is now used as a bargaining chip to secure trade deals of favorable tariff terms.
“Of course, I’m not saying countries are being strong-armed into ceding certain demands, but no one can deny the fact that it holds a higher importance compared to other manufacturing areas.”
He added that aerospace is no longer just a commercial industry but one of strategic geopolitical importance, with countries using aviation capabilities as leverage in trade and diplomacy.
Among those present today were state executive councillor for investment, trade, and mobility Ng Sze Han, Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) chief executive officer Dato’ Saipolyazan M. Yusop, Invest Selangor Bhd chief executive officer Dato’ Hasan Azhari, and representatives from embassies and state and federal agencies.
