SINGAPORE, Feb 12 ― Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu is confident the biennial Defence Services Asia Exhibition and Conference (DSA 2020) on April 20-23 will not fall victim to the Covid-19 (Novel Coronavirus) outbreak.

He said, although the world was facing the threat of the Covid-19 outbreak, Malaysia hoped the situation would recover in the near future and it would not have much impact on DSA 2020.

"We have two months left. So far there has been an increase (of exhibitors in DSA 2020),” he told Bernama when met at the Singapore Airshow 2020 (SA2020) here today.

SA2020 which opened yesterday had been hit by withdrawals from exhibitors due to the Covid-19.

Being one of the leading defence exhibition in the world, DSA 2020 offers more than 45,000 square metres of exhibition areas with nearly 1,500 participating companies from 60 countries.

The 17th edition of DSA will be held alongside NATSEC (National Security ― covering Law Enforcement, Public Security, Border Control) at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur.

With 30 years of experience in defence and homeland security showcase, the event will bring some of the world’s most advanced technologies, systems, hardware and electronic warfare that the market has to offer.

During his visit to the SA2020, Mohamad also took the opportunity to visit Malaysia Pavilion set up by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).

Accompanied by the Defence Ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Muez Abd Aziz, he also toured the Belarus Pavilion as well as Indonesia’s PT Dirgantara booth.

The defence minister then visited the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) Airbus A400M transporter which participated in the static display of SA2020.

The aircraft according to him, was used by the RMAF to conduct humanitarian missions to Palu, Indonesia and Cox’s Bazar, a Rohingya’s refugee camp in Bangladesh.

Besides the A400M, Malaysia also sends a sole Sukhoi SU-30 MKM to participate in the static display. ― Bernama