LIMA´09 Press Release

LIMA '09 Launching

Date: 9 December 2008


KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9, 2008: Malaysia will continue with its planned armed forces modernisation programme by investing in key strategic defence and security assets.


Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also the Defence Minister, said that even though many of the planned acquisitions by the Ministry of Defence have been delayed due the current global economic situation, Malaysia still needs to be vigilant in its protection of national assets and the security along its coasts and outlying territory, especially along the Straits of Malacca and East Malaysia.


Citing the Gulf of Aden incident where two Malaysian owned oil tankers were hijacked during the month of Ramadhan, Abdullah said that he was proud and praised the of the way the Armed Forces, especially the Royal Malaysian Navy handled the situation so far away from home. However according to Abdullah, Malaysia still needs to continue to improve its overall defence and security to be able face any future threats, anywhere in the world.
“We need to continue to pursue on-going plans like the Maritime Patrol Aircrafts and Airborne Early Warning Systems for the Royal Malaysian Air Force, the Multi-Role Support Ship (MSS) for the Armed Forces and Offshore Patrol Vessels programme for the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency”, Abdullah said.


Ahmad Badawi was attending the official launch of the 2009 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition. LIMA ’09 will be held in Langkawi from Dec 1-5, 2009 at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre. The exhibition is one of the largest defence and civil showcases in the world, regularly attracting the global maritime and aerospace industry to Langkawi.


LIMA which was previously co-organised by two separate maritime and aerospace organisers will from next year onwards, be replaced by a single organiser structure. HW LIMA Sdn Bhd, the organiser for the highly successful maritime segment since 1997, is now the overall organiser.


Also present at the launching ceremony were Deputy Minister of Defence, Dato’ Wira Abu Seman, Defence Ministry Secretary-General Dato’ Abu Bakar bin Haji Abdullah, Chief of Defence Forces, General Tan Sri Abdul Aziz bin Hj Zainal, Royal Malaysian Air Force Chief General Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Azizan bin Ariffin and Royal Malaysian Navy Deputy Chief Vice Admiral Dato’ Haji Mohammed Noordin bin Ali.


At the same event, Abdullah also witnessed seven major corporations ink their participation for LIMA ’09 by signing on as exhibitors. They are BAE Systems (United Kingdom), Boustead Naval Shipyard, Eurocopter, National Aerospace Defence Industries Sdn Bhd, Thales Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Sapura Group of Companies and Fincantieri (Italy).


HW LIMA Sdn Bhd Executive Chairman, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Abdul Wahab Nawi also presented the new LIMA logo to the MINDEF Secretary General Dato’ Abu Bakar bin Haji Abdullah.
According to Abdul Wahab, “close to 50% of the 21,000sqm space available at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre has been taken up with further bookings expected during the first quarter of next year. We are set for what is possibly the biggest LIMA we have seen so far”.  

 

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