MELAKA: The proposed establishment of an aerospace centre at Melaka International Airport (LTAM) in Batu Berendam here is one of the outcomes of the state government’s investment mission abroad, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
He said that the state government has met with an Italian company that owns 15 helicopters in Malaysia to discuss the possibility of making LTAM a centre for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).
“So the proposed investment opportunity for the company is to use the LTAM facility as an MRO centre because the airport has a lot of space that can be used for the rapidly growing aerospace industry.
“I have also discussed with the Minister of Transport (Anthony Loke) to upgrade LTAM as an aerospace centre because there is a company in Melaka that has been doing that for more than 20 years,” he told the state legislative assembly sitting in Seri Negeri today.
Ab Rauf said this in reply to a question from Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali (BN-Lendu) about the outcomes of his previous work trip abroad.
According to the Chief Minister, if the proposal to establish an aerospace centre at LTAM is materialised, it would create about 1,000 new job opportunities in the state.
He said that the MARA Mara Skills Training College in Masjid Tanah now provides training in aerospace-related fields and also markets its trainees to a state-based company that operates in the sector.
Ab Rauf said Melaka currently has 23 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes, making it a viable option for multinational companies to invest as the state has enough skilled manpower. – Bernama
