Musk–Trump tension hits Sabah's space dream, official says as state eyes foreign investment for launch site
KOTA KINABALU, June 14 — The recent tensions between American billionaire Elon Musk and United States President Donald Trump have posed a setback to Sabah's space ambitions.
'This is relevant because we are targeting investment from Elon Musk's side. Most of the world's major commercial space programmes are based in the United States, followed by Europe. We are also considering China. All this requires firm decisions at the federal level,' explained Science, Technology and Innovation Sabah Ministry (KSTI) Permanent Secretary, Datuk Mohd Hanafiah Mohd Kassim.
From a global perspective, he said there is currently congestion in satellite launches due to a shortage of launch platforms.
'There is a bottleneck. Rocket operations are also very costly. That's why we're focusing on developing the ground-based operation site. In the future, God willing, with proper training, Malaysians – particularly Sabahan talents – can move further into the space sector,' he told reporters during KSTI's Sabah Excellent Service Awards ceremony at the Magellan Sutera Harbour Resort yesterday, which was graced by KSTI Minister Datuk Ariffin Mohd Arif.
Hanafiah said the study on the proposed Sabah Space Centre is nearing completion, with the final report expected by the end of July.
'It was supposed to be completed earlier, but delays occurred due to pending information from several government offices. The new target for completion is by the end of July. It's nearly done,' he said.
Once the study is finalised, planning for the project's implementation phases can begin, including identifying the budget requirements.
'Before we can proceed, the first step would be budgeting. The space industry is highly advanced and demands substantial funding, so foreign investment will be essential. Essentially, they will be the ones carrying out the implementation,' he said.
He also emphasised that the project has the potential to create job opportunities for the people of Sabah.
In addition to Sabah, the states of Pahang and Sarawak are also vying to become Malaysia's launch site.
'There are three states involved, if I'm not mistaken. But everything is still undecided. Each state is likely conducting its own study. Once completed, the findings will be presented to the state governments and subsequently brought to the federal level. Only then will a final site be selected,' he said.
Nevertheless, Hanafiah expressed optimism that Sabah has the capability to be chosen as the launch site.
Touching on the awards ceremony, he said it is part of the Sabah Government's policy to recognise the contributions of public servants. Three categories were presented: Special Awards under the Permanent Secretary, Special Awards under the Minister, and the Excellence Service Awards. — The Borneo Post
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