Tak lama selepas berita itu, dipaparkan berita mengenai MARA atas arahan menteri yang bertanggungjawab iaitu Noh Omar akan membeli suit angkasawan Sheikh Muzafar yang kini berada di Rusia.
Tak mahal pun suit itu. Hanya RM 185000. Apa sangat boleh buat dengan wang sebanyak itu. Hanya boleh tampung seorang atau dua pelajar ke universiti luar negara hingga tamat pengajian. Hanya boleh bantu sekitar 18 orang usahawan melayu yang baru hendak bertatih. Hanya mampu menampung pengajian sekitar 10 orang anak melayu hingga tamat pengajian di universiti tempatan. Hanya mampu tampung pengajian sekitar 100 orang anak melayu di MRSM.
Tak mahal bukan. Murah. Kesannya pun banyak. Yang pertama, angkasawan negara seterusnya tidak perlu lagi beli suit. Guna sahaja yang ini. Jimat bukan? Yang kedua, akan meningkatkan ekonomi negara. Bagaimana? Melalui kemasukan pelancong asing yang ingin melihat suit angkasawan itu. Yang ketiga, meningkatkan minat para pelajar untuk menjadi angkasawan negara. Yelah, selepas balik nanti boleh dapat duit melalui penjualan suit itu. Yang keempat, menambah bilangan orang melayu yang ke angkasa. Bagaimana? Senang sahaja. Pakai baju angkasawan itu. Tunjukkan kepada masyarakat dan masyarakat akan percaya anda sudah ke angkasa. Mudah bukan?
Berdasarkan hujah-hujah di atas, saya sangatlah bersetuju dengan langkah MARA ini. Pembelian ini akan memberi "multiplier effects" yang berkali-kali ganda tambahan pula dalam keadaan kegawatan ekonomi dunia sekarang ini.
Mara to pay RM185,000 for Dr Muszaphar’s space suit
KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — Mara plans to buy the US$50,000 (RM185,000) space suit worn by Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustaphar and put it on display for all Malaysians.
Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar said he had instructed Mara to buy the costume as a symbol of the institution's success in producing the first Malay spaceman.
"Dr Muszaphar had a discussion with me and he hoped someone would buy the space suit.
"The government is not going buy it but a local company has shown interest, so I've asked Mara to get it," he told reporters after launching the 2009 Mara Education Carnival and Mara Day celebrations at the Putra World Trade Centre today.
He said Dr Muszaphar, a former Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) student in Muar, Johor, was idolised by the younger generation, especially the almost 90,000 students in Mara institutions.
Noh said he would ask Dr Muszaphar to arrange for the purchase of the suit which is now in Russia, and it would either put up for display at the Mara Museum or Universiti Kuala Lumpur-Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology (UNIKL-MIAT).
He said Mara would also offer a position to the first Malaysian spaceman for him to serve the students at Mara learning institutions as a way to repay Mara which has produced many excellent students, including himself.
"I have discussed this with him and he has agreed to join Mara and work with UNIKL-MIAT either as a lecturer, adviser or motivator," he said.
Noh said he would meet Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital regarding Dr Muszaphar's contracts with them.
"We don't mind if he is on loan (to Mara) or transferred as long as we can use his expertise. We will make space for Sheikh Muszaphar because he is a Mara-educated child," he said.
He added that Mara would provide a special salary scheme different from the government scheme for the spaceman's services. — Bernama
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