Maritime segment showcasing warships also pulling in crowds

Rare look: Visitors take in a docked warship during Lima ‘23. — Bernama

LANGKAWI: The air segment of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2023 (Lima ‘23) has undoubtedly taken centre stage, but the maritime segment has also captivated many visitors.

Visitors began streaming in at 10am for the exhibition of naval defence assets from home and abroad at Resorts World Langkawi (RWL).

A survey by Bernama found that despite the uncertain weather and occasional drizzle, local and foreign tourists still took the rare opportunity to take photographs against the backdrop of warships docked at the pier near RWL.

They were also willing to wait in long queues for their turn to board the three warships on display today, namely KD Lekiu from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), CNS Zhanjiang (China), and PNS Shahjahan (Pakistan), to tour the interiors.

“I was very excited to see these warships in real life, so much so that I could even feel how strong and brave our soldiers are in steering the country’s warships,” said a visitor, Putera Syahzulmi Suhaimi.

The 26-year-old said Lima had allowed him to increase his knowledge of the country’s maritime defence assets.

Meanwhile, Nurul Ain Husna Ahmad, 26, who has never missed an opportunity to attend Lima since 2015, said she was mesmerised by the warships on display every time she visits.

“I’m excited because I boarded some ships for the first time in Lima ‘23, like this ship from China.

“It is great to be able to get the chance to see the interior, complete with their sophisticated equipment,” said the native of Kedah.

The maritime segment at the 16th edition of Lima showcases 20 ships belonging to the RMN, six vessels from other government agencies, and 14 vessels from foreign countries such as Brunei, Japan, the US, South Korea, Italy, China, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia.

The exhibition began on Tuesday (May 23) and is accessible to the public until tomorrow.

The segment also presents various exciting programmes, such as rescue demonstrations from security agencies such as the RMN, Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, and Royal Malaysian Customs Department.