TAE Aerospace’s Malaysia Expansion Opens New Pathway For Retiring RMAF Servicemen

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali

BUTTERWORTH, June 8 (Bernama) -- After more than two decades maintaining aircraft engines in the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Warrant Officer II Mohd Zabidi is preparing for life outside the military, but not outside the aviation industry. 

Instead of leaving behind the skills he built over 21 years in uniform, he is now part of the first batch of RMAF personnel undergoing industry transition with TAE Aerospace Malaysia, an Australian aerospace company expanding its presence in Malaysia.

For Mohd, the opportunity offers a direct continuation of his military career and allows him to remain in the same technical field after retirement.

“I have been used to this field for almost 21 years. It would not make sense for me to go and build houses. So I came back here, to my original field, and I will maintain the same kind of work,” he told reporters during a media visit to the Butterworth Air Force Base, organised by the Australian High Commission in Malaysia.

Mohd, who is due to retire from the RMAF next month, said his previous role in the air force was at intermediate level maintenance, while TAE Aerospace would expose him to depot-level work.

“In the air force, I was categorised under I-Level (Intermediate Level). I was an engine bay supervisor. At TAE, we do depot level, so I need to learn a little bit more. But the rest is the same,” he said.

The transition is part of a broader effort by TAE Aerospace Malaysia to tap into Malaysia’s pool of experienced military technical personnel, particularly those nearing retirement from the armed forces.

TAE Aerospace Malaysia Services head in Malaysia Ray Bissett said the company had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Perbadanan Hal Ehwal Bekas Angkatan Tentera (PERHEBAT), or the Armed Forces Ex-Servicemen Affairs Corporation, to support the placement of former defence personnel into relevant technical careers.

He said the initiative made sense for both Malaysia and TAE Aerospace, as retiring air force personnel already possessed valuable aviation skills and training.

“One of the tradesmen here has been trained to fix jet engines. Isn’t it sad if that person is driving e-hailing or working as a waiter after he leaves? PERHEBAT wants to stop that. That is a Malaysian government initiative,” he said.

Bissett said from TAE Aerospace’s perspective, the pathway also allowed the company to develop a skilled workforce more efficiently, as the retiring personnel were already close to the required Certificate IV in Aeroskills standard used by the company.

He said the company’s initial plan was to support PERHEBAT while building its Malaysian workforce, although it may also take in new apprentices in the future.

TAE Aerospace Malaysia is also planning a larger expansion in Malaysia, with Bissett saying the facility would employ about 50 Malaysians, all of whom would require training.

He said the company would initially send them to Australia for training, before the Australian business for the F404 engine and some other engine types moves to Malaysia.

Bissett said TAE Aerospace’s long-term ambition is for Malaysia to become its regional hub for military engines, while also supporting civilian engine contracts in countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines.

“We hope this will be the regional hub for military engines. Initially, it will be both military and civilian,” he said.

Bissett said Malaysia’s location made it suitable as a regional base, with countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand within the first circle of potential markets, followed by the Philippines, India, and Taiwan.

“The difference is the freight costs will come down, the turnaround times will improve, and because of that, the business volume that we get should be greater,” he said.

Bissett said TAE Aerospace’s planned investment in Malaysia would be about A$50 million (A$1 = RM2.87) in the first year, rising to about A$100 million in the second year, including capital transfer and physical investment.

He said the facility is expected to operate at least until the late 2030s, although the company’s business objective is to eventually outgrow it and expand further.

On why the Australian company chose Malaysia, Bissett said the country was similar to Australia in terms of rules and regulations, on top of being safe for workers and supported by strong government-to-government relations.

He said Malaysia also offers supply chain opportunities in areas such as plasma flame spray and high-velocity oxy-fuel coatings, supported by capabilities already available through the oil and gas industry.

Bissett said cooperation between Malaysia and Australia could also create wider opportunities for workforce development, including the possibility for qualified Malaysian tradespeople to work and study in Australia as TAE Aerospace expands.

“My workforce will come from Malaysia. But I see that expanding as TAE Australia expands, I can see suitably qualified Malaysian tradespeople getting the opportunity to go and work, and in fact study, in Australia,” he said.

For Malaysia and Australia, the partnership reflects a practical form of defence and industry cooperation, one that keeps military skills in the aerospace sector while giving experienced Malaysian servicemen a second career in an Australian-linked company based on Malaysian soil.

RMAF Warrant Officer II Muhamad Zafifi, who is also part of the first batch with Mohd, the transition marks both an emotional departure from military life and a new opportunity for career development.

He said after nearly 21 years in the armed forces, moving into the civilian sector was both exciting and bittersweet, but TAE Aerospace had given him a clearer path after retirement.

“I am grateful because I have been given the opportunity and I can already see my path after becoming a civilian,” he said.

Muhamad said the move would allow him to gain deeper technical knowledge beyond what he had acquired in the military.

“This is my career development. We come from the same background, from I-Level, and now we are given the opportunity to maintain aircraft parts at D-Level, or depot level. This is knowledge I may not get anywhere else,” he said.

For both men, the opportunity also means they do not have to restart their working lives from zero after retirement.

-- BERNAMA