Malaysian natinal space center opens

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi opened Malaysia's National Space Center at Banting, some 150 km southwest of Kuala Lumpur, in a bid to harness space technology for the country's development.

The prime minister said that, to compete with developed countries, Malaysia needed to master various science and technology fields including space technology.

He said that the Malaysian government was committed to enhance space science research capabilities and innovations, stressing that the country would not be able to become a developed country without building the capacity in that field.

Malaysia has set a target to become a developed country by 2020. Badawi said that the center was an additional step to propel the country towards a developed nation based on knowledge and technology.

Malaysia's national news services Bernama said that the space center is equipped with sophisticated laboratories to assist in work relating to satellite systems.

The center, which began to be developed in 2004, has the capacity to monitor and communicate with astronauts at the International Space Station, Bernama said.

Badawi said that Malaysia has gained a lot from space technologies since the 1970s, including communication satellite technology which facilitated contact with the outside world and enabled the country to receive worldwide news.

Communication satellites are also used in the security and defence sectors, he said.

Malaysia had used satellite pictures over the past several decades for various purposes, including to forecast weather, monitor land development and the latest to detect and monitor natural disasters and forest fires, he added.

In addition, he said, Malaysia was building the National Observatory in Langkawi, another crucial infrastructure in the country for space science research.

The observatory would reportedly be equipped with a robotic telescope, which will enable people to view space through the internet.

Badawi said that Malaysia should be committed not only to become a user of space science and technology but also more importantly to be a contributor towards its development in the future.

Source: Xinhua