KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin today defended the participation of foreign defence firms at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security (Natsec) Asia 2026, describing it as a neutral trade platform despite concerns over alleged links to conflicts abroad.
Speaking after a walkabout at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) here, Khaled said such criticisms were not new and had surfaced during previous editions of the biennial event.
“We respect their position and stance, but this is a trade show.
“As I said, this is a neutral platform. Even if those companies are not participating, they have long had offices in Malaysia.
“They typically come out once every two years — or sometimes annually — to showcase their products when we organise DSA,” he said during a press conference.
He noted that the event is not open to the public, but instead functions as a closed-door engagement for industry players and government stakeholders.
Khaled said the platform also allows Malaysia to assess and compare defence technologies as part of its procurement considerations.
“We believe this enables us to compare, assess and evaluate. At the end of the day, Malaysia may also buy the product.
“If that product is better, and if Malaysia and that government have arrangements and an understanding to facilitate procurement, it allows us to decide — because we may ultimately become one of the buyers,” he added.
