LANGKAWI: Tucked between the many foreign and local defence industry-related companies at the 2025 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA’25) is a bumiputera shoe manufacturer optimistic about using the exhibition as a platform to enter the international market.
Sepatu Timur Sdn Bhd managing director Mohd Izarul Izzat Ismail said even though it was the first time the company joined the exhibition, it had 42 years of experience in producing shoes and leather boots, including drill boots, combat boots, Oxfords, parade and tactical shoes.
“...with such an exhibition, I hope we can showcase products from local companies at the international level.
“Since I took over the company in 2019, we have been involved in various agreements with security and enforcement forces to supply high-quality shoes,” he said when met at his company’s exhibition booth at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre today.
He added that there was stiff competition with other shoe manufacturers due to the current economic situation, which led him to consider more creative and aggressive ways to showcase his company’s products.
He viewed LIMA as the best platform to attract the attention of those with potential of becoming strategic partners and help him expand his company’s operations.
“We do plan to join more of such events after this, including the Defence Service Asia (DSA), more frequently,” he said, pointing out that the events did not just serve as networking platforms but could show a local company’s capabilities, something he said could create more opportunities for his company’s shoe products and more jobs for locals.
LIMA’25 was officially launched yesterday, and will run till Saturday, and features 860 foreign and local exhibitors.
