6 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Cabinet to discuss policy on low-altitude airspace, drone mobility
PETALING JAYA: The government will look into a policy for the use of low-altitude airspace and drone mobility, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Responding to a question regarding the use of low-altitude airspace for mobility at the Higher Education Ministry's Ilmuan Malaysia Madani, Anwar said drone operations so far have been limited to remote areas, and acknowledged the need to study the matter further.
"We will take this into the cabinet meeting tomorrow," he said at the forum titled "Transport for the People: Balancing Affordability, Quality and Sustainability of Public Transport."
Also present at the forum were Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Prasarana Malaysia Bhd president and group chief executive officer Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah and Universiti Putra Malaysia vice-chancellor Datuk Professor Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah.
Commenting on the same matter, Loke said Malaysia does not yet have a strategy in place when it comes to low-altitude mobility, particularly the use of drones below 1,000 metres.
"We don't yet have a strategy on things like supposed parking or urban mobility. Drone mobility is still in its early stages, especially in terms of technology to carry people or passengers.
"There are many proposals from private companies to introduce cargo drones, but we don't yet have a legal framework," he said.
However, Loke saidthat for now, the government is focusing more on land-based transport systems.
"Even with autonomous vehicles, we don't yet have a legal framework. There are guidelines and pilot projects being carried out in Cyberjaya, but no legislation yet. I think we will look into it, but for me this is not an immediate priority," he said.
