{
  "id": 5739879,
  "title": "‘If Langkawi too small’: Defence minister says LIMA may need alternative venue",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/if-langkawi-too-small-defence-minister-says-lima-may-need-alternative",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-05T07:24:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/09/05/if-langkawi-too-small-defence-minister-says-lima-may-need-alternative-venue/234036"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KOTA TINGGI, Sept 5 — The Malay Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, indicated that exploring an alternative venue for the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) could be necessary to maintain its competitiveness in the region. He emphasized that continuous enhancements to LIMA, especially in terms of venue size and facilities, are crucial considering that neighboring countries are also hosting similar events. \"The competition to organise such exhibitions is very, very strong. If we do not improve the facilities and expand the area, we may see fewer participants,\" he stated. Mohamed Khaled mentioned that countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, along with Thailand, organize such exhibitions, prompting the need for ongoing improvements. He shared former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's perspective, who suggested that if LIMA's current facilities at Langkawi cannot accommodate its expanding requirements, the government should consider alternative locations to prevent any negative impact on international industry participation. This suggestion followed Mohamed Khaled's earlier proposal to potentially hold LIMA in Melaka in the future. The minister highlighted Klebang in Melaka as a possible candidate location but noted that significant investments would be required to develop the necessary convention and exhibition facilities. He also pointed out that the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) in Kuala Lumpur faced space constraints, particularly for showcasing large defence assets and vehicles. International exhibitions in countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are held in venues with expansive exhibition areas and open spaces, which are not available in Kuala Lumpur. Mohamed Khaled stated that it was still too early to decide on retaining the LIMA name if the exhibition were relocated, emphasizing the need for further deliberation.",
  "summary": "KOTA TINGGI, Sept 5 — The proposal to explore an alternative venue for the Langkawi International Maritime and Aer...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "‘If Langkawi too small’: Defence minister says LIMA may need alternative venue",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/if-langkawi-too-small-defence-minister-says-lima-may-need-alternative-5740780",
        "published": "2026-09-05T07:24:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}