Ng (left) and Invest Selangor chief executive officer Datuk Hasan Azhari Idris at the press conference. — ART CHEN/The Star
TWO regional events organised this year by Selangor government, through Invest Selangor Bhd, yielded almost RM7bil in potential transactions.
They were Selangor Aviation Show (SAS) 2023 and Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) 2023, which generated RM823mil and RM6.12bil, respectively.
SAS 2023, held at Skypark Regional Aviation Centre in Shah Alam over three days in September, recorded 19,217 visitors, according to a media statement by Invest Selangor.
It surpassed the targeted 12,000 visitors and marked an increase from 10,563 visitors in 2022.
Of this number, 55.1% were trade visitors while 44.9% were members of the public.
The 109 exhibitors came from 10 countries, comprising various companies in the aerospace and aviation industries.
Industry players and the state government also signed 28 memorandums of understanding (MoU), double the number from last year.
SAS 2023 also saw 49 static displays, of which 28 were Malaysian-registered and 21 were internationally registered aircraft. This was almost double the number recorded last year.
Seventy speakers from Malaysia and abroad also spoke at 34 forums and panel sessions held throughout SAS 2023.
Despite its impressive visitor numbers, SAS 2023’s potential transactions recorded an almost 30% drop from RM1.174bil in the previous year.
Selangor investment, trade and mobility committee chairman Ng Sze Han attributed the decline to the slow post-pandemic development of the aviation industry.
“The aviation industry needs time to navigate through the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Nevertheless, we saw encouraging responses by industry players during SAS 2023.
“Therefore, we expect the potential transaction value to be higher next year,” he said during a press conference at Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah in Shah Alam.
Meanwhile, SIBS 2023 saw all eight exposition halls and seven conference halls at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) occupied by 972 booths run by 612 local and international exhibitors.
The four-day summit in October attracted 57,249 visitors from 83 countries, an increase from 44,342 visitors last year.
Visitors included business owners, importers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers and hypermarket purchasing department personnel.
Ng said SIBS 2023’s potential transaction value recorded a 322% increase from the RM1.45bil in 2022.
The increase, he said, was mainly contributed by Selangor International Food and Beverages (F&B) Expo, which was one of the main events during the summit.
“It also witnessed the signing of 34 MoUs carrying a cumulative value of RM4.9bil,” he said.
“One of the MoUs signed between Tenpower Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Lion Group also secured us an investment from China.”
Ng also announced dates for the next SAS and SIBS.
“SAS 2024 will be held from Sept 12 to 14, 2024.
“For more details, the public can visit www.selangoraviationshow.com or its social media pages.
“SIBS 2024 will be held twice next year, from July 25 to 27 and Oct 16 to 19.
“More details can be found at www.selangorsummit.com.”
Separately, Ng said the state government had just started the process of setting up a new artificial intelligence (AI) laboratory for collecting and analysing big data on public transport.
“The laboratory will cover all forms of public transport, including Light Rail Transit, Mass Rapid Transit, Demand-Responsive Transport and even ehailing vehicles.
“It will also be actively training new talents to join the fields of AI and big data.
“We are currently still discussing the implementation mechanism and engaging with relevant stakeholders,” he said.
Ng also said the first class under Selangor’s digital school programme, involving 30 final-year computer science students, had commenced.
It is a joint initiative between the state government, Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry and universities from Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan, he said.
“These students will be provided with 60 hours of generative AI training.
“They will also be placed as interns in the 30 technological companies that joined the programme,” he added.
