KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has confirmed that a total of 41 ships will be involved in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2023 (Lima’23) from May 23-27.

RMN chief Admiral Datuk Abdul Rahman Ayob said 17 of them will be from the RMN, 15 are foreign military ships and nine are Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency vessels.

He said that, for the first time, visitors will be allowed near the ships not only at the jetty but also board ships anchored in the middle of the sea.

"This is the advantage of the Lima’23 exhibition this time. Previously, visitors can only get near the ships berthed at the jetty.

"Among the RMN assets that will be featured at the exhibition are the KD Tuanku Abdul Rahman submarine based in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and the Mega Bakti submarine rescue ship,” he said as a guest on Bernama TV’s ‘Apa Khabar Malaysia’ programme, here, today.

Meanwhile, Alpine Integrated Solution Sdn Bhd chairman Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abdul Rahman said one of the new attractions at the Lima’23 exhibition is the space segment.

He said the space segment was announced by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang last month, in that the ministry (MOSTI), through the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA), will head the Space Tech Nexus.

"This is part of Mosti’s efforts to strengthen the strategic cooperation network in Malaysia with international industry players.

"The space segment is one of the economic segments with has the biggest potential and this is the first time that the space element is being showcased in the exhibition,” he said.

Mohd Khairul said the special attribute of Lima’23 is to meet the needs of locals venturing into this field and it will not just be focused on military, aerospace and maritime for commercial purposes.

He said the Lima’23 exhibition will, among others, produce more bilateral cooperation, memoranda of understanding, technology transfers and collaborations that will provide space and opportunities for the defence industry to expand.

"In terms of presence, we expect almost 400,000 visitors to Langkawi Island, both from within and outside the country, and indirectly spur the tourism sector’s economy,” he said.

Lima 2023 is themed The Nexus of Asia’s Maritime and Aerospace Trade.

The biennial exhibition was last held in 2019. — Bernama