Malaysia: Malaysia's ammunition manufacturing sector is proactively strengthening its resilience and exploring sustainable local alternatives to ensure the nation's defence requirements remain secure amid global supply chain challenges.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, leading this effort is local ammunition manufacturer Ketech Asia Sdn Bhd, which is collaborating with Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) to develop ammunition propellants derived from oil palm biomass.

Ketech Asia project director Rahayu Bahaudin, speaking to Bernama in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security (NATSEC) Asia 2026, said the long-term initiative aims to shield the country from geopolitical shocks and skyrocketing raw material prices, particularly the constant global shortage of conventional propellants. She explained that the current global propellant industry relies heavily on cotton, which yields a high concentration of up to 80 percent for the propellant formulations.

While oil palm biomass may yield a lower concentration than cotton, the massive abundance of this agricultural waste in Malaysia makes it a highly viable and sustainable alternative. Rahayu emphasized that instead of discarding the husks and waste, they can be converted and reused, promoting a green environment and reducing dependency on imports.

Rahayu noted that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with UPNM, and multiple stages of lab testing by the university's researchers have already proven successful. Ketech Asia is currently providing technical assistance to help scale up the research from a laboratory setting into a real manufacturing capability.

Ketech Asia operates the country's first highly automated ammunition manufacturing facility in Kuala Lipis, Pahang, which is currently capable of producing up to 130 million rounds of 9mm and 5.56mm ammunition annually to cater to domestic security agencies' needs.