LANGKAWI: The 2023 edition of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima’23) exhibition will reinforce Malaysia as a regional hub for aerospace and maritime industries, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said this would enable the country to move closer to the realisation of the Malaysian Aerospace Industry Blueprint and the Malaysia Shipping Master Plan.
He congratulated Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Transport Minister Anthony Loke, as well as their respective teams, for driving this initiative.
Both Mohamad and Loke are the two co-lead ministers for the show.
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“I would also like to commend Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang and his team, particularly the Malaysian Space Agency (Mysa), for putting together the first-ever SpaceTech Nexus at this year’s Lima,” he said in his welcoming speech in conjunction with Lima’23 yesterday.
Anwar said the SpaceTech Nexus demonstrated that Lima’23 was a future-focused event and ready to play a role in the growth of space technology, which is expected to reach a global market value of US$10 trillion (RM45 trillion) by 2030.
In his speech, the Prime Minister applauded the support from various partners which had contributed to the fruition of the prestigious biennial event.
“This is spectacular in the level of support and recognition given to Malaysia and I must also use this opportunity to express our thanks and appreciation to our colleagues from participating countries and in this particular function to express our gratitude to our friends,” he said.
Lima’23, themed “The Nexus of Asia’s Maritime and Aerospace Trade” began on Tuesday and will run until Saturday.
This year’s edition involves two ministries, namely the Defence Ministry (defence sector) and the Transport Ministry (commercial sector).
The event was previously held in 2019 and was halted in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Mohamad said the government was keen to adopt and implement the notion of a Blue Economy, where sustainable economic growth should align with maintaining the ocean’s health.
“In striking a balance between achieving economic growth and maintaining ocean health, the Blue Economy warrants proper planning and management of maritime space.
“Central issues like pollution control, marine ecosystem health and sustainable fisheries should always be the guiding priorities in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” he said at the launching of Langkawi Maritime Conference held in conjunction Lima’23.
He said due to the dynamic maritime geopolitical environment, the challenges faced were not limited to traditional threats.
“Our maritime security is also greatly challenged by non-traditional threats, such as illegal trafficking of goods and humans; illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing; piracy and terrorism; threats to the marine ecosystem like climate change; as well as shipping and land-based pollution.
“Therefore, we need to revisit our approach in managing our sea areas and marine resources,” he said. — Bernama
