Malaysia spent almost RM40 million to send one of our own to space, it was revealed in Parliament today.

The National Astronaut Programme which sent the country's first astronaut to space cost RM39.11 million and not "hundreds of millions" as rumoured, said the Science, Innovation and Technology Ministry today.

Of this, its minister Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili (BN-Kota Marudi) told Parliament, RM16.8 million was borne by the ministry while RM22.28 million was by the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Mimos, the Finance Ministry and other government bodies.

Another RM75.8 million was borne by the Russian government, he added.

"I wish to state here that as far as costs are concerned, it has been talked about and misunderstood," he said in answer to a supplementary question by Ibrahim Ali (Independent-Pasir Mas) during the question-and-answer session.

"The presumption that we used hundreds of ringgit of the rakyat's money and so on and that it was expensive is a misperception, and I hope that the information I have given can correct this," said Ongkili.

He also said that the RM75.8 million - based on the present exchange rates - was undertaken by the Russian government as part of the supplementary agreement to off set the purchase 18 Sukhoi 30-MKM fighter jets.

Programme brought 'immense' benefits

malaysia astronaut dr sheikh muszaphar shukor Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, the 35-year-old medical specialist chosen to be Malaysia's astronaut for the Oct 11-22 mission to space, trained for over a year at Moscow's Star City.

He was said to have carried out experiments and other research. Many quarters had criticised the mission as wasteful and questioned the criteria used to arrive at the selection of Muszaphar.

Earlier in his answer to Mohd Nasir Ibrahim Fikir (BN-Kuala Nerus), Ongkili said it could not be denied that the space mission had brought "immense" tangible and intangible benefits to the country.

This included the increased awareness and interest among the young and the Malaysian public at large in the importance of science and technology, he said.

The mission had also been a source of pride among Malaysians in having sent one of their own to space, he added.

The mission had also advanced research in the field of ‘micro-gravity' and led to at least one "technology spin off" that will soon be commercialised, said Ongkili.