Sheikh Muszaphar: I hope to be married by 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor plans to end his bachelorhood by 2009.

While declaring that he would want to get married by then, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar did not say if he had any girlfriend or was seeing anyone special at the moment.

He merely smiled when the question was posed to him twice by reporters at the Parliament Lobby yesterday when he met MPs and attended the luncheon hosted by the Backbenchers Club.

Earlier, he said: “I am already 35, going on 36 and hope to be married by 2009.”

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar wants to end a two-year contract that he signed with the Government which requires him to remain single so that he could concentrate on the space programme.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis had said in his speech that Dr Sheikh Muszaphar wanted to end the contract earlier now that he had completed the space mission.

“We signed the contract with him last year and he has one more year to go,” he said.

Dr Jamaludin also said that the second Angkasawan Dr Faiz Khaleed, who was scheduled to go to space by 2011, would have to extend the contract requiring him to remain single.

Dr Faiz probably would have to extend it by another two years, said Dr Jamaludin.

He also revealed that Russia has offered to sell the Soyuz spacecraft, which carried Dr Sheikh Muszaphar to space, to Malaysia.

Dr Jamaludin said he was in the midst of gathering feedback from people on whether the spacecraft should be bought before presenting the proposal to the Cabinet.

He told the MPs to support the proposal and discuss the issue in the Dewan Rakyat.

“I would gather feedback first to see whether the people are for it and whether the price offered is good before making any proposal to the Cabinet,” he said.

Dr Jamaludin said the purpose of doing so would be to sustain the interest of the younger generation in space for a longer time by enabling children to have a chance to take a look at the spaceship.

Also present at the event were two scientists from the ministry, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abd Aziz and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid, as well as the Speaker Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib.

Opposition MPs Teresa Kok (DAP - Seputeh) and Ismail Noh (PAS - Pasir Mas) were also present.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar cut a cake, signed a plaque, answered questions raised by MPs, signed autographs and also posed for photos with the MPs and Parliament staff members.

Dr Jamaludin also said that a foundation would be set up for the space programme and some private sector firms had offered to support it.

The foundation would also take care of the welfare of the two Angkasawan who were regarded as national treasures, he said.