KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) will make a comeback this year following a four-year hiatus, with the event being launched by government officials here on Monday.
The biennial program exhibition will be held from May 23-27 and bring together senior government officials, top military officers, and industry leaders, as well as exhibitors from the defense and commercial sectors from all over the world, the organizer said in a statement.
Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook and Defense Minister Mohamad Hasan joined officials to launch the event.
Loke said the return of the exhibition will revive momentum in Malaysia's aerospace and maritime sectors, putting an end to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Malaysia has long been focused on uplifting the domestic aerospace and maritime sectors so that they can further contribute to national growth. We have the capability and capacity to enhance the shipbuilding and repair industry in the country," he said.
Loke added that the country aims for Malaysian vessels to account for 20 percent of global shipping, 30 percent of intra-ASEAN trade, 90 percent of domestic shipping and 100 percent of port tugboat operations, besides boosting its capabilities in its domestic drone industry.
For his part, Mohamad said Malaysia will seek to strengthen its defense industry ties with reliable partners in line with its National Defence and Security Industry Policy to be launched this year.
"We look forward to more strategic and significant collaborations with reliable partners. This will enhance the domestic defense and security industry's capability, in producing military hardware and technologies, in order to achieve the goals for Malaysia to become self-reliant, and for the players to be part of the international supply chain," he said.
First launched in 1991, LIMA has grown into a major arms and technology showcase, drawing hundreds of companies from dozens of countries. This year's edition is expected to draw over 600 exhibitors, 60 percent being companies from the defense industry, while the remaining 40 percent will be from the commercial sector, the organizer said. ■