Malaysia Info Guide
for Locals & Visitors

LANGKAWI, Nov 29 - Despite having been around for nearly two decades, the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2009 (LIMA 2009) is hardly short on 'firsts' and fresh elements as it enters 10th edition next week.

Like the legendary status accorded the island where the event will be held, LIMA is set to continue maintaining its iconic status, in as far as appeal and relevance are concerned.

If previous LIMA editions were usually co-hosted by two different maritime and aerospace organisers, what's distinctive this year is that there is just a single organiser.

HW Lima Sdn Bhd, the maritime segment host since 1997, has been mandated to solely host this year's LIMA edition at the island from Dec 1 to 5.

"We are building on our good work done previously. We believe this year's LIMA will proceed smoothly," said HW Lima managing director Ahmad Dzuhri Abdul Wahab.

LANGKAWI, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- Twenty buses have been specially chartered by HW Lima Sdn Bhd, the host for this year's Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 09), to transport visitors to the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC), beginning Tuesday.

HW Lima Sdn Bhd managing director Ahmad Dzuhri Abdul Wahab said the free bus service would be provided to avoid traffic congestion.

The bus would pass through Kuah town, Jalan Pantai Kok and hotels at Pantai Cenang to transport visitors to MIEC, he added.

Besides the bus service, Ahmad Dzuhri said the there would also be 12 high-powered motorcycles offering a similar service for visitors, as well as to transport participants from their hotels to MIEC.

Lima begins tomorrow and will end on Dec 5.

KUALA LUMPUR: The billion-ringgit SSK Scorpene submarine KD Tunku Abdul Rahman will be the star among the 96 warships and vessels at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace 2009 (Lima '09) exhibition.

Royal Malaysian Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar said the submarine was part of the fleet of vessels at Porto Malai, venue of the maritime segment of the exhibition.

He said the line-up includes vessels like the multipurpose combat support ship KD Sri Indera Sakti, frigate KD Lekiu, corvettes KD Lekir, KD Laksamana Hang Nadim and KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah.

The others are the new-generation offshore patrol vessels KD Kedah and KD Perak, fast-attack missile craft KD Perdana and KD Gempita, hydrography vessel KD Perantau, mine counter-measure vessels KD Ledang, KD Jerai and KD Kinabalu and training vessel KLD Tunas Samudera.

Aziz said the public would be able to view some of its warships and those of foreign navies and maritime participants, with a shipping agency coordinating tours.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- A total of 330 companies from 24 countries have so far confirmed their participation in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2009 (LIMA '09) from Dec 1 to 5.

Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abu Bakar Abdullah said 53 types of aircraft and 71 warships would be making a bee-line towards Langkawi for the expo.

He said exhibitors from Australia, Russia, Norway, Poland, United Kingdom, South Africa and Singapore were among those coming.

Malaysia's first Scorpene submarine KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, which sailed back from France recently, will be displayed in public for the first time at Porto Malai.

KUALA LUMPUR -- The country's first submarine, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman (KD TAR), has arrived in the Strait of Melaka and is now heading towards Port Klang for the official welcoming ceremony Thursday.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah as well as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Chief of Defence Forces Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin and the chiefs navy, air force and army will attend the event.

Royal Malaysian Navy public relations officer Lt-Comm Masliza Maaris, when contacted, said members of the public would be able to watch the ceremony live through the "Hello On Two" programme on TV2 from 7.50am.

The KD TAR is captained by Commander Zulhelmy Ithnain and has 35 crew.