LIMA '15 Crowd Mesmerised By Maritime Special Ops

LANGKAWI, March 19 (Bernama) -- The maritime exhibition segment of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA'15) Wednesday captivated visitors with the exceptional style the national security forces conducted air and sea operations. The maritime demonstration was witnessed by Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Chief of Navy Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar, top officials of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), as well as naval officers of ASEAN countries at Resort World here. The exhibition kicked off with a parade by maritime agencies involved in LIMA'15 which included the Navy Special Operations Force (PASKAL), Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Royal Malaysian Customs (KDM), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), and the Department of Fisheries, Malaysia. The exhibition continued with a hostage rescue drama on a tanker by PASKAL. The show ended with a parade and fly past by RMN and MMEA assets involved in the exhibition which included a P38 Interceptor boat, a Super Lynx aircraft, a rigid foam boat, an inflated rigid hull boat, two Fennec helicopters and MMEA's Dauphin and Bombardier aircraft. A visitor, Muhammad Effenddy Abdul Malek, 25, said as a local resident, he was fascinated with the capability of the national maritime forces in conducting rescue operations from the air and sea. "I am really interested in the national defence forces, so the opportunity to watch the live demonstration today (Wednesday) is a very valuable experience," he told Bernama, here Wednesday. He said through the exhibition he could see how the maritime forces carry out their tasks in ensuring the nation's coastal security. For Rosnadia Mad Zain, 27, who was visiting Langkawi for the first time in conjunction with LIMA'15 this year, the demonstration by the maritime forces was very interesting and was a rare opportunity. "I've never seen how the security forces carry out their duties so this is my first experience and it was very exciting," she said. LIMA'15 maritime segment this year saw the participation of over 65 assets from several countries, including three from Russia. Malaysia is showcasing 12 vessels including the Scorpene class submarine, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman owned by RMN, compared to only eight at LIMA 2013. In addition, eight ships and 28 boats from the Maritime Enforcement Agency Malaysia will be displayed during LIMA'15 which ends on March 21.(photoBernama) -- BERNAMA