When will Lima become the premier event in Asia Pacific?
Since its first edition in 1991, the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima) has grown phenomenally.
Back then, there were just over 100 exhibitors. Today, that number has multiplied, and includes some of the world's biggest companies.
The 17th edition this year was the biggest by far, with more than 600 exhibitors split roughly equally between domestic and foreign companies.
The number of Malaysian companies that took part augurs well for the domestic industries involved. But does a bigger show necessarily mean a better one?
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was right to say he wanted Lima to focus on empowering domestic companies, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises.
The prime minister wants Lima to help domestic enterprises penetrate international markets.
That, ultimately, is the aim of Lima: to ensure that the Malaysian defence, aerospace and maritime industries can grow. A happy consequence of that growth, of course, would be a stronger economy.
With the Defence Ministry alone inking deals worth RM11 billion, one would perhaps think this was a huge success. But that's government spending. What about domestic, non-governmental companies?
To be fair, some commercial deals were signed — but specific figures were not disclosed.
One sign that Lima may not be as successful as it appears: the Singapore Airshow attracts around 1,000 exhibitors.
Bear in mind that this is a show that made its debut only in 2008, 17 years after the inaugural Lima. And it is a show dedicated to the aerospace industry.
What sets Lima apart is its equal emphasis on both aerospace and maritime sectors. While other shows may touch on both, most prioritise one over the other.
Yet we fail to draw more exhibitors than Singapore. Perhaps that has to do with the size of the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre, but let us not use that as an excuse as, many times before, we have heard of "plans" to upgrade the venue and even increase its size.
There is another indicator. While Lima is more than just an airshow, that still remains an important part of the exhibition as a whole.
The airshow draws the crowds. The airshow also draws companies to show off their wares.
This year we had two aerobatics teams: the Russian Knights and Indonesia's Jupiter. It would have been three if India's Surya Kiran had not pulled out.
We used to have more. Among them were the United Kingdom's Red Arrows, arguably the most famous in the world; China's August 1st; South Korea's Black Eagles; and, the United Arab Emirates' Al Fursan.
We have had advanced aircraft like the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the Eurofighter Typhoon and French Rafale burning up the skies in an attempt to fight their way into our multi-role combat aircraft programme.
This year, all we had were our Royal Malaysian Air Force aircraft and what one journalist described as a "quick buzz" from a United States Navy Super Hornet and E/A-18 Growler.
Rumours were that there would be some fifth generation fighter aircraft in the mix, but that came to nothing, with even the Sukhoi Su-57 Felon giving Lima a miss though it had made its public debut in India not too long ago.
With lacklustre airshows, how then are we to draw interested parties to view what's at hand? When will Lima become the premier event in the region — not just Southeast Asia but the Asia Pacific —for aerospace and maritime industries?
Yes, the exhibition is not about the airshow. Yes, the most important thing is for domestic companies to showcase their capabilities. But the former brings the opportunity for the latter, in a roundabout way.
In terms of deal value, Lima '25 can be considered a success.
One can only wonder, though, if this series of exhibitions should not have reached even greater heights by now.
It certainly has the potential.
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