MOSTI FORMULATES ACT TO REGULATE NATIONAL SPACE INDUSTRY

PUTRAJAYA (Bernama) - The Ministry of Science, Technology and
Innovation (Mosti) is formulating an act which will be used to regulate and
drive activities related to the national space industry.

Its minister, Dr Maximus Ongkili said the act, which is known as the
National Space Act, was being formulated as Malaysia was getting actively
involved in space exploration activities.

"On the encouragement of the government, Mosti feels that the time has come
to shape a comprehensive policy, that is, in terms of pioneering and
encouragement for the national space industry," he told reporters after
launching the Fourth Anniversary of the National Astronaut Programme (Supan-4),
here on Monday. He said, towards this end, Mosti was discussing with various
quarters, among them academicians and those agencies involved in the national
space industry. He said the act was necessary so that overall guidelines, driven
by National Space industry-related laws, could be provided.

"Until now, we are only using related laws and existing acts, and I hope in
the middle of next year, we can see the first draft from the discussions," he
said.

Meanwhile, Ongkili said the Astronaut Programme had opened opportunities for
cooperation and invaluable experience to the research and science communities in
Malaysia to venture into microgravity research at international level.

He said among them was the cooperation with the Japanese Aerospace and
Exploration Agency for the crystallisation of protein which started in 2009 and
expected to end in 2012.

"Until now, we have succeeded in crystallising at least 24 local proteins of
high quality which could be applied in the Oleo-Chemical industry in Malaysia
and at international level," he said.