During the ongoing Indo Defence 2024 Expo, Daily News has the chance to Interview Nadzeem Abdul Rahman, the Executive Director Defence Services Asia (DSA) Exhibition and Conference. The following are edited excerpts from the interview Daily News: We’ll have a...
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During the ongoing Indo Defence 2024 Expo, Daily News has the chance to Interview Nadzeem Abdul Rahman, the Executive Director Defence Services Asia (DSA) Exhibition and Conference.
The following are edited excerpts from the interview
Daily News: We’ll have a short interview about the DSA appearance here at Indo-Defence. Could you tell me a bit about the DSA?
Nadzeem Abdul Rahman: First of all, this is one of the many editions in which we have participated in Indo-Defence. I think we’ve been here since the very beginning of Indo-Defence. We always use Indo-Defence as a platform to promote and market defence services to Asia. Defence Services Asia (DSA) is now going into its 19th edition. By history, we are among the first tri-service defence exhibitions, and perhaps the oldest in the world. In fact, in Asia, we are likely the oldest, having organised it since 1988.
DSA has shown tremendous progress. At the last edition alone, we had record-breaking participation—about 1,300 companies from more than 50 countries. We had about 35 international pavilions. We received nearly 500 VIP delegations from 63 nations. For the next edition, we are working hard to increase the size by another 10%, and we’re in the right position to achieve that target. It will be held next year, from 20 to 23 April 2026.
Daily News: Can you tell me about the expectations for DSA following the success of the last show?
Nadzeem Abdul Rahman: As I mentioned earlier, the next edition—the 19th—will again be organised at MITAC from 20 to 23 April 2026. Our expectation, compared to the last edition, is to grow the event. We are confident that we can increase participation by another 10%, reaching about 1,400 companies. We aim to increase the number of international pavilions to around 37 or 38. We also hope to attract about 600 VIP delegations from all over the world. So that is our expectation for the next DSA.
Daily News: How do you see Southeast Asian countries’ defence collaboration—especially during shows like this, where DSA cooperates with Indonesian counterpart to promote the show and vice versa, and also with organizers in other ASEAN countries?
Nadzeem Abdul Rahman: I see events like DSA, Indo-Defence, and Defence Security Thailand as good platforms for Southeast Asian collaboration. Through such platforms, we can bring in international OEMs as well as local companies—from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand—so they can engage in meaningful discussions and explore collaboration. Without such a platform, it would be difficult for these countries’ industries to meet and have these discussions.
For example, at this Malaysian pavilion, we’re not just showcasing DSA but also including companies like MilDef to form a national pavilion. With this arrangement, I think we’re creating an impact—not just for us, but also opening opportunities for dialogue with potential partners. We hope to complement, not compete, because there is room for industry-to-industry collaboration. Each market has its own niche and differences.
In some ways, they might collaborate and meet their own countries’ demands and needs. For example, if you have a military vehicle platform, it makes sense for a local company to handle servicing, rather than expecting a foreign partner to do so. This approach ensures faster turnaround, more effective and efficient service, and ultimately benefits the end-user.
Daily News: Any closing remarks?
Nadzeem Abdul Rahman: I think that’s all. But I just hope that, for Defence Services Asia, the progress has been good. We’ve already secured about 65% of participation confirmation, even though we’re a year away. I encourage interested companies to come and approach us to consider participating. I’m confident it’s a good platform for them—not just to reach the Malaysian market, but also the regional market.
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