KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — Attracting major global aerospace companies like Airbus and Boeing to operate in Selangor is key to retaining local talent and preventing them from moving abroad, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He said stronger incentives from the federal government are also needed to grow the industry and curb brain drain.
“We’ve managed to attract leading companies such as GE Aerospace, Airbus, Boeing and possibly Spirit. This will help retain our talent in Selangor by providing them with comfortable salaries,” he told Media Selangor after the Selangor Aerospace Roundtable Meeting with diplomatic heads here yesterday.
During the discussion, participants raised questions on talent development in Selangor’s aerospace industry and how the federal and state governments plan to address them.
Amirudin said that among other examples, the state, through Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated), or MBI, has been collaborating with GE Aerospace over the past few years on technical and vocational training programmes.
This, he said, has helped workers enhance their skills and raise their income within six months to a year of specialised training.
He also noted that as Malaysia’s aerospace hub, Selangor is home to the majority of the industry’s 30,000 workers.
Amirudin added that under the Selangor Aerospace Action Plan 2020-2030, the state aims to accommodate between 20,000 to 30,000 industry workers.
“Talent development remains one of our main focuses,” he said, citing collaborations with Politeknik Banting and UniKL, along with efforts to align curricula with industry needs.
With over 100 universities and higher education institutions producing 40,000 graduates annually, Amirudin said Selangor has the talent pipeline to support growth.
However, the menteri besar stressed the importance of federal support in helping the state achieve its goals.
“I hope we can convince the federal government to announce strong incentives for major players to come and operate here.
“This is crucial to ensure our talents continue to work in Selangor and Malaysia, and that we don’t face brain drain in the future.”
In his speech yesterday, Amirudin said the aerospace industry remains central to the state’s long-term agenda and will be among the main focus areas in the Second Selangor Plan (RS-2).
He also urged Asean nations to consider a bold, collective effort to develop its own regional aircraft, saying this can be achieved by leveraging the bloc’s growing population and considering the increasing strategic importance of the aerospace industry.
Among those present yesterday were state executive councillor for investment, trade, and mobility Ng Sze Han, MBI 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.
