LIMA'17 Receives Encouraging Response from Int'l Firms

LANGKAWI, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- The Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace 2017 (LIMA '17) exhibition to be held from March 21 has received encouraging response from international firms despite the current global economic slowdown. Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein Friday said this year's exhibition saw the floor space widened by 40 per cent compared to LIMA '15 and 95 per cent of the area had already been snapped up. "Based on the responses from the international companies, it looks like LIMA is here to stay," he told reporters after surveying the preparation of the exhibition site here. Prior to that, he chaired a ministerial-level coordination meeting for the exhibition here, which was attended by Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai and several deputy ministers. This year, the exhibition will feature 119,209 sq m of floor space compared to 104,209 sq m in 2015. Hishammuddin said as of Friday, a total of 505 companies from 36 countries had expressed their commitment to participate in LIMA'17. He said the total value of contracts to be signed during the exhibition was also expected to increase due to the involvement of other ministries this year. In 2015, the total value of contracts signed amounted to RM9.29 billion, up from RM4.7 billion in 2013. "We received encouraging reports...I believe not only in the context of (contracts in) the defence industry, when we involved the Ministry of Transport in the last LIMA exhibition, more agreements will be signed this year," he said. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry has also committed to add a list of contracts to be signed this year. "Whether it materialises or not, we will wait for the day scheduled," he added. -- BERNAMA