ASTRONAUT PROGRAMME TO CONTINUE IF THERE IS ENOUGH FUND

KUCHING (Malaysia), Oct 18 (Bernama) -- The second astronaut programme will be
continued if there is adequate allocation under the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP),
said Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Fadillah Yusof.

He said currently the government was focusing on 12 projects under the National
Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) and no specific provision was provided for the
astronaut programme under the 10MP.

"We hope the second astronaut programme could be continued within five years
depending on the allocation of funds and we hope to more better revenue from the
12 NKEAs," he told reporters after launching the Sarawak Zone's Malaysian
Innovative Carnival at Kuching Waterfront here Sunday.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha, an orthopaedic surgeon, was the
first Malaysian to go into space.

He was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Soyuz TMA-11
with the Expedition 16 crew on October 10, 2007.

He flew under an agreement with Russia and performed experiments on board the
ISS relating to the characteristics and growth of liver cancer and leukaemia
cells, the crystallisation of various proteins and microbes in space.

Besides Dr Sheikh Muszaphar, Malaysia's second astronaut, Major Dr Faiz Khalid
was also put through his paces at the Yuri Gagarin Astronaut Training Centre,
Star City, Russia for 12 months.

Dr Faiz, who is still attached with the armed forces, has been seconded to the
Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry since the programme was instituted.

The astronaut programme was announced by the then prime minister Dr
Mahathir Mohamad in August 2003 and attracted more than 11,000 candidates.