Malaysian Firms Linked to Myanmar Military Aviation Supply Chain: JFM

Several Malaysian companies, including some with direct financial ties to the state, are actively supplying or seeking to supply aircraft parts and maintenance services to the Myanmar military, which has been widely condemned for bombing its own civilian population, an investigation by Justice For Myanmar (JFM) revealed Wednesday.

JFM’s findings, based on leaked documents and commercial trade records, were announced during Myanmar coup president Min Aung Hlaing’s controversial official visit to Malaysia on October 7-8 at the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The rights group said three Malaysia-based aerospace procurement and services companies—FJ Global Aeroparts (M) Sdn Bhd, Asia AeroTechnic Sdn Bhd (AAT), and Skyways Technics Asia Sdn Bhd—supplied or sought to supply parts to the regime military and its brokers, or in one case was approached to perform repairs, between 2023 and this year.

FJ Global sought to supply the regime with spare parts and critical components including weapons system parts for Russian- and Chinese-made aircraft used by the regime in its aerial campaigns, JFM said, adding that the company has sent multiple requests for quotations to international suppliers for spare parts for the regime’s warplanes and drones.

In February, FJ Global secured financing from state-backed Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB), a company under the Prime Minister’s Department that is wholly owned by Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputra, which is chaired by Anwar.

AAT is wholly owned by MARA Corporation, which is owned by MARA, an agency of Malaysia’s Ministry of Rural and Regional Development. According to JFM’s sources, regime military engineers visited the company in February 2026 regarding repairs to an Airbus A-319 owned by the Myanmar military.

JFM also claimed that Skyways Technics Asia, the Malaysian subsidiary of Denmark-based Skyways Technics A/S, has made numerous shipments of aircraft parts to arms brokers Light Head Group of Companies, KLS Aviation, United Five and Lucky High, which are registered suppliers to the Myanmar army’s Directorate of Procurement. JFM assessed that the Air Force was the likely end user.

Regime-controlled Myanmar National Airlines and Mingalar Aviation Airline (formerly Air KBZ), owned by the 24Hour Group founded by tycoon Aung Zaw Zaw, a crony with close ties to the junta boss, have also sought export approval to send aircraft parts to Skyways Technics in Malaysia for repair or exchange, the rights group said.

It noted that by knowingly providing support to the Myanmar military, which is widely accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, Malaysian businesses could be aiding and abetting the regime’s crimes.

JFM also highlighted Malaysia’s ongoing facilitation of the regime’s participation in regional defense and security programs. Kuala Lumpur has invited a police official of the regime’s notorious Special Branch to attend the 29th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Intelligence Community Conference (AICC) in Kuala Lumpur in November.

Regime military officials were also allowed to participate in the 14th ASEAN Defense Minister’s Meeting (ADMM)-plus Experts Working Group on Counter-terrorism, which was jointly chaired by Malaysia and India in 2025.

The rights group said Malaysia’s support for the regime exposes the hypocrisy of its stated commitment to ending violence in Myanmar.

“It is deplorable that Malaysia is awarding false legitimacy to the war criminal Min Aung Hlaing and handing people back to his criminal junta while doing nothing to stop its companies from supplying a military that is committing mass atrocities,” said JFM spokesperson Yadanar Maung.

The rights group added that “Instead of taking steps to cut off the resources needed for the junta to continue its violence, Malaysia has turned a blind eye to business complicity, while providing false legitimacy to the junta and handing Myanmar people to a murderous military that threatens their lives.”

“Malaysia’s stance on the Five-Point Consensus [ASEAN’s peace plan for Myanmar] and its calls for peace in Myanmar ring hollow while it fails to stop its companies from providing the military equipment and services that support its campaign of terror against the people,” Yadanar Maung said.

On September 28, regime airstrikes on a busy market and surrounding areas in Arakan Army-administered Kyauktaw town, Rakhine State, killed 50 civilians and injured nearly 60. The deadliest-ever aerial attack on civilians in the state drew global condemnation. However, the regime has continued its deadly aerial campaign of bombing civilian targets in resistance-controlled areas across the country.

Malaysia has faced widespread criticism from international rights groups and politicians for rolling out the red carpet for Min Aung Hlaing, who faces an arrest warrant issued by an Argentine court over the military’s persecution of the Rohingya. The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor has also sought a warrant for his arrest over alleged crimes against humanity.

Malaysia recently defended its invitation as a necessary gesture to the coup leader for agreeing to receive deported Myanmar nationals.