MEASAT Urges Government to Prioritise Sovereign Space Technology in Budget 2027

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 – MEASAT Satellite Systems (MEASAT) has called on the Malaysian government to prioritize investment in sovereign space technology under Budget 2027, emphasizing the need to reinforce national control over critical digital infrastructure and strategic data.

MEASAT Chief Operating Officer You Chyong Lim highlighted that prioritizing space technology is essential to bolstering Malaysia’s national resilience, self-reliance, and global economic competitiveness. The proposal aligns with Malaysia entering the execution phase of the Malaysia Space Exploration 2030 (MSE2030) initiative spanning 2027 to 2030.

Lim noted that the domestic space sector generated RM6.2 billion in total revenue between 2017 and 2024, with industry targets set to surpass RM10 billion annually by 2030.

“Budget 2027 can play an important role in translating this aspiration into sustainable economic growth, technological advancement and national resilience,” Lim stated regarding MEASAT’s Budget 2027 submissions.

MEASAT outlined five core policy recommendations for the upcoming supply bill:

• National Investment Priority: Classifying Malaysian-controlled space capabilities and orbital assets as primary national investment priorities, while embedding sovereign oversight into government procurement for critical communications and security applications.
• Targeted Financing Frameworks: Establishing long-term investment models tailored to the extended capital and development lifecycles of space infrastructure, alongside promoting public-private partnerships across multi-orbit platforms.
• Integrated Multi-Orbit Technology: Driving the integration of Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and terrestrial networks while expanding applications in satellite Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), Earth observation, and data analytics across sectors like maritime surveillance, smart agriculture, and disaster management.
• Local Commercialisation & Testing: Providing structural support to develop, test, and commercialize homegrown space technologies via joint ventures connecting local enterprises, technology startups, universities, and research institutes.
• Industry-Academia R&D Pipelines: Strengthening specialized research and talent development programs across core disciplines, including aerospace engineering, remote sensing, space regulation, and AI analytics.

MEASAT emphasized that Malaysia maintains a robust foundational ecosystem—including sovereign orbital rights, satellite and ground facility infrastructure, dedicated spectrum allocations, and legal expertise—that can be leveraged under MSE2030 and the National Space Policy 2030.

The submission coincides with the 30th anniversary of the launches of MEASAT-1 and MEASAT-2.

–NMT