Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad visits Japan

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad arrived in Tokyo on June 10, starting a three-day visit to Japan, his first tour abroad since he took office on May 10.

Within the visit’s framework, Mahathir will attend the International Conference on The Future of Asia hosted by Nikkei Shimbun.

He is scheduled to hold talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the conference, during which the two leaders are expected to focus on measures to strengthen bilateral relations.

In a statement, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said that the visit of PM Mahathir will highlight the country’s policy with Japan and other countries in the region, especially its policy on foreign investment and trade.

Prior to the visit, Mahathir announced that he will revive the “Look East” policy, adding that he will further clarify the policy in Japan. The policy, which he applied when he acted as the PM of Malaysia from 1981-2003, played a key role in switching Malaysia from an agricultural country to an industrialised nation, while creating a breakthrough in partnership between Malaysia and Japan.

Many symbolic works and products of Malaysia were made in the period, including the Petronas twin tower and Pronto Saga car. Therefore, analysts held that both Japan and Malaysia expect the visit will bring about new development opportunities to both sides.

In 2017, Japan became the largest foreign investor in Malaysia with total investment of 13 billion USD.

According to Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Makio Miyagawa, the return of Mahathir helps Japanese firms regain confidence in the Malaysian market.

The Japanese side hopes the visit will make bilateral relations thrive again, including trade and investment ties.-VNA