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 exhibition, 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.