Kuala lumpur: Boustead Holdings Berhad (Boustead) today signed strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Submarine Manufacturing and Products Limited (SMP) and Malaysian engineering firm ENRA Energy Solutions Sdn Bhd (EES) to enhance its submarine rescue and naval maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Boustead stated that the MoU with SMP, a United Kingdom-based subsea engineering company specializing in submarine technology, reflects both parties' intention to explore opportunities in the development of submarine rescue systems. The collaboration will leverage SMP's expertise and Boustead's role in facilitating defense-related initiatives within Malaysia.
Under the MoU, Boustead will provide strategic leadership and governance support, engage with defense-related stakeholders and government-linked entities, and support project structuring, financing, and long-term sustainability. Both parties will also explore operational collaboration, project management, and capability development within the defense sector.
The second MoU with EES focuses on joint exploration of MRO services for naval propulsion and power generation systems, as well as lifecycle support for vessels operated by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). Through the MoU, both parties will collaborate on targeted naval projects, including joint participation in tenders, sharing of technical expertise, and coordinated business development efforts.
Boustead and EES will also explore the development of codification capabilities, including parts identification, standardization, and logistics support frameworks. The MoUs were signed by Boustead Group managing director Datuk Dr Ahmad Sabirin Arshad, SMP managing director Ben Sharples, and EES chief executive officer Ikhlas Zainal at the Defence Services Asia Exhibition and Conference 2026 (DSA 2026) in Kuala Lumpur.
The signing was witnessed by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, LTAT chairman General (Rtd) Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin, LTAT chief executive Mohammad Ashraf Md Radzi, Boustead chairman General (Rtd) Tan Sri Dr Abdul Aziz Zainal, SMP Regional Sales Lead Christopher Webb, ENRA Group Berhad president and Group chief executive officer Tan Sri Kamaluddin Abdullah, and ENRA Group Berhad chairman Datuk Ali Abdul Kadir.
The MoUs serve as non-binding frameworks for collaboration and do not create financial obligations at this stage, with specific initiatives and the proposed investment to be formalized through separate definitive agreements. Ahmad Sabirin, in the same statement, highlighted that these collaborations reflect the group's focus on strengthening Malaysia's maritime defense ecosystem, emphasizing a commitment to building partnerships that enhance operational readiness, resilience, and long-term sustainability.