KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (CU)_Hiroshi Oka, Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia said that bilateral relations between Malaysia and Japan are strategic and valuable. In a speech during Japan’s National Day celebration, the ambassador appreciated Malaysia’s Look East Policy and said that cooperation between both the countries is boundless and that massive progress has been achieved.
Oka said that strong trade and investment policies were the main driving force in the bilateral ties, with around 1,500 Japanese companies in Malaysia generating 340,000 manufacturing sector jobs. Japan, Malaysia’s top investor in 2019, is now extending its wings from the conventional emphasis on electrical and electronics to high-value added manufacturing such as the digital, halal and logistics sectors and medical equipment and services. He said: “We will spare no effort to encourage more investment from Japan to support the Malaysian government’s efforts to enhance productivity”.
Education and human resources are also main areas of collaboration, and about 27,000 Malaysians have benefited from higher studies in Japan since the start of the Look East Policy nearly 4 decades ago. Oka said: “Once back in Malaysia, they have been playing significant roles at the forefront of every field and given unique strength to the foundation of our close ties”.
He highlighted the different forms of assistance provided by Japan to Malaysia to address the difficulties raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. The assistance included the provision of personal protective devices (PPE) and other medical devices. The ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases is also being set up to assist ASEAN countries improve their capacity to get through the transmissible diseases. Japan has donated US$60 million for this purpose, while an extra US$300 million donation was pledged to support the production and global distribution of vaccines for COVID-19.
