Malaysia's Biggest Agriculture Show
MAHA 2026: Inside Laman Perikanan and the Future of Malaysia's Fisheries Industry
Laman Perikanan, situated in District 2 was part of a bigger showcase of the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture & Agrotourism (MAHA) 2026, marked (Yellow – District 2) on the event map alongside other amazing agricultural showcase and the state pavilions. That single line was enough to draw me in to understand a bit more on what is happening withing the industry and community. Malaysia's fisheries industry rarely gets a dedicated stage in front of a crowd of this scale, and when it does, MAHA 2026 offers a great opportunity for visitors, investors and market players to see the industry up close, discover emerging technologies and solutions, and explore opportunities across the fisheries and aquaculture value chain.
Fortunately, the extra 1-day holiday on 1 Sep 2026 (Selangor winning SUKMA 2026) provide me and my family with the opportunity to visit MAHA 2026. The expo runs from 28 August until 6 September 2026 at MAEPS Serdang, Selangor. This year, MAHA 2026 bringing together more than 2,000 exhibitors across 42,000 square metres of indoor exhibition space and 130 hectares outdoors, with the total number of visitors are expected to reach 2.5 million by end of the 10-day event.
After investigating a bit more of the event, the first expo ran from 30 June to 2 July 1923 on the Selangor Turf Club field, and the 2024 edition, opened by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at MAEPS, was marked as its 100th anniversary. It has been biennial and Serdang-based for years now, big enough that the Malaysia Book of Records named it the largest exhibition in Southeast Asia in 2008 and large enough since to pull roughly three million visitors an edition. What has changed is the framing around those crowds. MAHA 2016 ran under "Our Food, Our Future"; 2022 under "Food Security for the Future"; and 2026 under Penciptaan Nilai untuk Keterjaminan Makanan. Three consecutive editions, making essentially the same case with escalating urgency.
MAHA 2026: Value Creation in Food Security
That tells you exactly the overall direction of the Malaysian Fisheries focus area. It's a shame that sport-fishing or even recreational fishing can be a bigger of the industry which will generate impact not only for the community but for the nation. I'm pretty sure the framing decides what gets funded, what gets researched, and which species end up in hatcheries. I hope moving forward we can expand the stakeholder further and we all as anglers have a say in this industry.
MAHA 2026: The States Pavilion
From Laman Tiba 1, we took a buggy straight to District 2 and it dropped us off right at the main entrance to the states pavilion. We started off with the Sarawak Pavilion; there has been a lot of praises on threads that this is the best pavilion. It showcases Sarawakian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise selling Agri based produces such as peppercorns and Kuih Lapis. It also showcases traditional attire and dances, truly putting in a great effort to highlight the best that Sarawak has to offer.
After Sarawak, we moved on to the Negeri Sembilan Pavilion, and the Pusat Ikan Hiasan Teluk Kemang was there to exhibit their educational and recreational marine attraction located in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. Managed by the Department of Fisheries Malaysia, the center serves as both an exhibition facility and a research hub dedicated to marine biodiversity, ornamental fish breeding, and conservation. On display was a Green Turtle, also known as Chelonia mydas, which is commonly found along the coast of Port Dickson. However, I am not sure whether the locality serves as a breeding or nesting ground for Green Turtles.
Over the years of fishing, I have encountered one dead turtle and, on another occasion, rescued one that was trapped in a pile of trash off the coast of Port Dickson. Seeing this on display serves as a reminder of the challenges marine wildlife faces along our coastline. This provides good opportunity to educate the visitors about the importance of keeping our coastal beaches and waters clean and safe for the overall coastal diversity of Port Dickson as it hosts a variety of species.
Next, we head to the Terengganu Pavilion and surprisingly there exbiit and actual baby turtle at the centre of the whole showcase. I really hope these turtles will be safely released back into their natural habitat after MAHA 2026, where they can continue their journey in the wild. Conservation is not just about showcasing these beautiful creatures; it is also about ensuring they have a safe future beyond the exhibition. For now, though, this little guy was simply too cute to walk past without taking a closer look!
For me, the Perak Pavilion was the most beautiful of all. The pavilion beautifully showcases the unique architectural elements of traditional Perak houses, giving visitors a glimpse into the state's rich heritage and distinctive identity. The exhibitor showcases a full display of the Perak State Government initiative in Agri and Fisheries based industry. The Fisheries industry has been an integral contributor to the state economy, given the state's extensive coastline, rivers, and rich aquatic resources.
Perak coastal line has been and important fishing ground for recreational saltwater anglers. Fishing spot such as Pulau Sembilan and Pulau Jarak offers a variety of SW game fish species. Inland Perak is also known for its freshwater recreational fishing post such as Royal Belum and Lenggong. These location serves an important contributor for local fishing economy through localised tourism and it's good to see the Perak Fisheries Department is doing their best to ensure the sustainability of these ecosystems.
One striking educational exhibit was the skeletal remains of an Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin. I never knew that such species could thrive in Perak coastline, and I hope efforts has been done ensure the continuation of the species. The exhibit offered us a rare opportunity to observe the dolphin's skeletal structure up close and gain a better understanding of its anatomy and habitat. Such species existence is a great indicator about the health state of the coastal line, and I hope the visitors can see the importance of conservation and greater awareness of the wildlife that shares our coastal waters.
MAHA 2026: Fishing with The Milkfish Lady
One session that we all look forward to was to experience fishing in MAHA 2026. Shamin and Naweshad co-founded The Milkfish Lady, a Malaysian fishing and marine education initiative that has been taking families fishing since 2014. The organisation focuses on education, sustainability, conservation, and ethical fishing, introducing both children and adults to recreational fishing while sharing knowledge about aquatic life and responsible fishing practices. With over 4000 kids, hands down to this guys on educating the community
During MAHA 2026, they are offering basic fishing experience and offer simple fishing equipment and guidance. They provide useful walkthrough such as fishing knot, fish measurement and dehooking a fish, making the experience accessible to all beginners. On top of that you get yourself a free online IGFA membership and a certificate of participation. If you are an experienced angler, you can come to the spot with your own gear and bait. I've seen amazing catch report through MAHA 2026 on social media and at the same time, they are clearing the invasive species from the pond. Peacock bass are being transported to a different location.
Great to catchup with these guys and Fishyology and Milkfish are like babies 12 years ago haha. It's crazy how much time has passed and how much has changed since those early days. One thing we missed was Thye Fishing Village, Kedah. Sadly that particular pond is no longer there and hand down that is the best SW pond in Malaysia at that time. Nothing came close haha. Andrew Griffin was there too and that is like our first fishing trip together.
MAHA 2026: Laman Perikanan Malaysia
Our final stop was at the Perikanan Centre, where we explored an exhibition focusing on biosecurity and food security, as well as Malaysia's native freshwater fish species. I found the biosecurity exhibition particularly interesting, especially as an educational activity for children. Hana and Aarif walk through the different stages of the process; from sampling and examining fish specimens to reviewing the samples under a microscope. In many ways, these activities provide a glimpse into the kind of work carried out by fisheries auditors and inspectors to ensure that Malaysia's aquatic resources and food supply remain safe.
Biosecurity is an increasingly important part of food safety, particularly for Malaysia, which imports a significant number of fish and other aquatic produce from neighbouring countries such as Thailand. Proper inspection, monitoring and testing help minimise the risk of diseases and harmful organisms being introduced through imported aquatic products. It was a fun experience for Hana and Aarif to be able to experience the process, and it was presented in a way that was accessible, fun and engaging.
The other exhibition showcased a wide variety of Malaysia's native freshwater fish species. It was refreshing to see these species given a platform because many of them are not commonly seen, or even known, by the general public. Bringing these fish into an exhibition setting allows visitors to appreciate the incredible diversity of freshwater species that can be found in our own waters.
And, of course, aquariums are always a crowd-pleaser! There is something naturally captivating about seeing these fish swimming in front of you, and I think this makes the exhibition an effective way of introducing people, especially children, to our native aquatic biodiversity. Hopefully, that curiosity will encourage greater appreciation for the need to protect these native species and protect their natural habitats.
MAHA 2026: The Overall Outlook
Overall, MAHA 2026 was an amazing experience and, for me and my family, a very informative one. The exhibitions offered plenty of knowledge and insight into Malaysia's agriculture, fisheries, food security, biodiversity and related industries. Although for us we only spend time partially within District 2, the experiential activities there are meaningful.
What I appreciated most was that MAHA was not simply about showcasing products and technology. It also provided an opportunity to educate the public, introduce our local industries, highlight our natural resources and give visitors a better understanding of the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep these sectors moving forward.
I hope similar programmes will continue to be organised in the future, hopefully, become even bigger and better. Most importantly, I hope these initiatives will continue to inspire and educate our younger generations, so that they can better appreciate Malaysia's agricultural and aquatic heritage and play their part in protecting it for generations to come.
