KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2021 (Lima’21) will not be held this year even though there are calls for it to be held virtually, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
The Senior Minister said the ministry had received many proposals to organise Lima'21, which was earlier cancelled due to the spread of Covid-19 pandemic including being held online and LIMA would come back in 2023.
"The plan to hold Lima in 2023 continues and there is no change so far.
"Apart from that, many are of the view that by 2023, Covid-19 vaccinations around the world would have been completed. We too would have received the vaccine by then to enable a large crowd for Lima, ” he said.
He was speaking to Bernama when asked to comment on Lima’21 after appearing as a guest on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara titled ‘ Setahun Malaysia Prihatin’ here Thursday (March 4) night.
Ismail Sabri said when Covid-19 vaccines are widely available in 2023, there would be no problem holding the exhibition physically.
Lima'21 was scheduled to be held from March 16 to 20 this year.
It was cancelled following the spread of Covid-19 which is affecting the entire world and the disease has not been completely brought under control.
Meanwhile, on the Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition, Ismail Sabri said it may be held next year.
"My ministry is awaiting a decision by the policy division on DSA 2022, ” he said.
DSA is scheduled to be held from March 28 to 31,2022.
The mega-event, among others, would focus on segments such as cyber defence, long-range control systems and health care in the battlefield apart from providing opportunities for various strategic alliances, business cooperation and networking between major defence practitioners with government and security agencies. - Bernama
