DSA A Catalyst For Development Of M'sia's Defence Industry

By Mohd Razman Abdullah KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (Bernama) -- Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition, which was first launched in 1988, continues to become an important catalyst for the development of the local defence industry. This year's edition of DSA, which was held for four days from April 16, had successfully attracted many local and foreign participants to showcase their defense products at the world-class biennial exhibition. A total of 850 defence industry players took part in the DSA 2012. Defence Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said DSA exhibition had, over the last decade, changed the landscape of the national defence industry in terms of contemporary security challenges, technology, product development and acquisition activity, particularly in Asia. Ahmad Zahid has also targeted 1,000 participants at the next DSA exhibition scheduled for 2014. "That target will be our Key Performance Indicator to get 1,000 participants in the DSA 2014," he said during the closing of DSA 2012 at the Putra World Trade Centre recently. Among the new local companies that stood out at the DSA 2012 was Metamorphise Resources Sdn Bhd (MRSB), the sole parachute supplier in Asia Pacific. MRSB Director Lt Col (K) Dr Ahmad Zaki Ismail said the company was planning to produce parachutes for various industries in the country through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked with a United States-based parachute manufacturer, Tactical Parachute Delivery System Inc (TPDS). "The MoU will allow us to set up an integrated one-stop service centre here and we have plans to transfer all the technology of producing parachutes to Malaysia in the near future," he told Bernama. MRSB also supply parachutes to customers in Thailand, Vietnam, Philippine, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Singapore. Bumiputera-owned company, Amdac (M) Sdn Bhd, on the other hand, had also evolved from supplying vehicles into manufacturing special and custom-made vehicles for various clients, including in Taiwan, Brunei and Singapore. Amdac, which is also involved in producing heavy-duty and special purpose vehicles, has also sent three Interchangeable Tactical Mobility System (ITMS) prototype trucks to the Malaysian Army Combat Training Centre (Pulada) for testing. Its chief executive officer Marina Yahya said it was part of the company's collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, adding that the truck was developed under a cross-fertilisation programme between Amdac and the ministry as one of Malaysian Industry of Defence, Enforcement and Security's initiatives. Meanwhile, United Kingdom Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) had also shown interest in fostering industrial partnerships with Malaysian companies. "UK industry is keen to establish enduring and mutually beneficial partnerships with the very capable industrial and technological based companies in Malaysia," UKTI DSO Head Richard Paniguan said. Fifteen weapon and equipment procurement contracts and memoranda of understanding (MoU) worth RM4.76 billion were signed during the DSA 2012, with RM357.2 million worth of contracts were awarded to five local companies and one from Russia. (US$1=RM3.06) -- BERNAMA