Kedah warns moving Lima could hurt Langkawi's economy
ALOR STAR: The Kedah government is concerned that moving the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima) to another state could affect Langkawi's economy, image and standing as an international tourism destination.
State Tourism, Culture and Entrepreneurship Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Salleh Saidin said Lima had become deeply intertwined with Langkawi after more than three decades of being held on the island.
He said Lima was not merely a defence exhibition but also played a significant role in the local tourism, hospitality, transport, business and economic sectors.
"If the issue is access, then resolve the access problem.
"Don't move an event that has already taken root in Langkawi simply because there is a problem.
"Lima is not just a name or an exhibition. It has become part of Langkawi's identity and generates economic spillover for residents and tourism industry players," he said after the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebration for the Kubang Rotan state constituency here yesterday.
He was commenting on Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin's statement that the government was exploring Melaka as an alternative venue for Lima in future should Langkawi no longer be considered suitable.
Salleh said tourism development in other states could still be pursued through new events or products rather than taking over an event that already had a strong identity at another destination.
He said feedback from industry players and visitors showed that Lima continued to hold significant value for Langkawi.
"The response I received was quite unfavourable towards the proposal.
"Lima is an event eagerly awaited by industry players in Langkawi.
"The last edition recorded the highest number of visitors in Lima's history," he said.
Lima 2025, held in Langkawi in May last year, recorded about 450,000 visitors and brought together 860 exhibitors from 24 countries.
A total of 43 aircraft and 31 ships also took part during the five-day exhibition.
