KUALA LUMPUR: The Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2021 (LIMA'21) will not be held this year even though there were calls for it to be held virtually, said Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the ministry had received many proposals to organise LIMA'21 which was earlier cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19 pandemic including being held online and LIMA would come back in 2023.

"The plan to hold LIMA in 2023 is maintained and there is no change so far.

"Apart from that, many are of the view that by 2023, COVID-19 vaccination in the world would have been completed. We too would have received the vaccine by then to enable a large crowd for LIMA then," he said.

He told Bernama when asked to comment on LIMA'21 after appearing as a guest in Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara titled ' Setahun Malaysia Prihatin' here last night.

Ismail Sabri said when COVID-19 vaccine is widely available in 2023, there would be no problem of holding the exhibition physically.

LIMA' 21 was scheduled to be held from March 16 to 20 this year.

It was cancelled following the spread of COVID-19 which is affecting the entire world and the disease has not been completely brought under control.

Meanwhile, on Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition he said it maybe held next year.

"My ministry is awaiting decision by the policy division on DSA 2022," he said.

DSA was scheduled to be held from March 28-31 2022.

The mega event among others would focus on segments like cyber defence, long-range control system. health care in the battlefield apart from providing opportunities for various strategic alliance, business cooperation and networking between major defence practitioners with government and security agencies.

-- BERNAMA