MIRI: Sarawak has high potential to emerge as a leader in the development of Low Altitude Economy (LAE) in Malaysia, in line with its vast geographical advantages and the urgent need to improve access to services in rural areas.

Sarawak Minister for Transport Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said this approach is seen to be able to strengthen the government service delivery system, especially in rural areas which still depend on conventional aircraft at STOLports and often face weather constraints.

He explained that this situation places Sarawak in a strategic position to utilise low altitude technology as a complement to the existing system.

“This factor puts Sarawak in a unique position to capitalise on new opportunities in the sector, especially to improve service delivery in rural areas.

“Low-altitude applications have great potential to act as a complement, especially in critical operations including the delivery of medicines to rural clinics and accurate crop monitoring,” he said.

He said this when officiating the ‘Aviation Safety Seminar – Advancing the Low Altitude Economy: Safe, Smart and Sustainable Growth 2026’ here, Tuesday.

According to Dato Sri Lee, the technology also plays a role in the inspection of infrastructure such as bridges, power lines, roads and utility assets, in addition to monitoring forests, biodiversity and emergency response in areas at risk of flooding and landslides.

At the same time, he stressed that the rapid development of LAE at the global level requires Sarawak to act proactively so as not to be left behind.

“Low-altitude airspace is now a new economic domain at the global level. Sarawak cannot be a mere observer, we need to be active participants,” he said.

In this regard, the Ministry of Transport Sarawak (MOTS) will work closely with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) in ensuring compliance with safety standards through the development of a regulatory framework, the implementation of pilot projects as well as increasing public awareness and enforcement.

In a related development, MOTS is also exploring the establishment of pilot low altitude corridors in rural and semi-urban areas to facilitate phased testing of the technology.

Explaining further, he stressed that the development of a highly skilled workforce is an important foundation for the growth of the LAE sector, including strategic collaborations with academic and research institutions.

“Institutions such as Curtin University Malaysia, Swinburne University, i-CATS and CENTEXS play an important role in providing new expertise including drone pilots, engineers, airspace planners and cybersecurity professionals,” he said.

The MOTS Minister added that with careful planning, integrated governance and support from industry and academia, Sarawak may emerge as the first state to comprehensively implement LAE development in Malaysia.

He also expressed his appreciation to CAAM and Curtin University Malaysia for organising the seminar which was described as an important platform in strengthening research collaboration and innovation in aviation technology.

Also present were MOTS Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, MOTS Permanent Secretary Datu Wong Hee Sieng, CAAM Chief Executive Officer Dato Captain Norazman Mahmud and Curtin University Malaysia Pro Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Dr Vincent Lee Chieng Chen. -UKASnews