Japan continues to back 'Look East' Policy with regard to Malaysia

[Harold Schiffman]

DAILY EXPRESS NEWS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Japan continues to back 'Look East' Policy
25 April, 2008

Kota Kinabalu: Japan continues to support the "Look East" Policy which
has lasted over 25 years although Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the prime
mover had stepped down as Prime Minister in 2003. Ambassador of Japan
to Malaysia, His Excellency Masahiko Horie, 62, said Thursday the
policy, which is into its 26th year, is always there even though
Malaysian leadership has changed hands as current Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, then as Minister of Education, had been
together with Tun Mahathir.
He proudly disclosed that over 6,000 Malaysian trainees have completed
short-term training courses in Japan. And under the "Look East"
Policy, he said, we have an accumulative figure of about 12,000
Malaysian students and trainees today over the last 26 years.

These 12,000 student graduates are holding very important posts in
Malaysia today, according to Masahiko. Among them are 25 professors
teaching in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). The 'Look East' Policy is
an important base for Japan and Malaysia. It will continue as both are
in a win-win situationÉmutually beneficial. It is a very important
factor which cements bilateral relations between the two countries.
"We still think the 'Look East' Policy is a kind of symbolic theme or
concept between Malaysia and Japan not just in the realm of
education," he told a press conference. It was in conjunction with his
first official visit to Sabah since his appointment as Japanese
Ambassador to Malaysia several months ago.

Masahiko said Japan is also supporting Malaysia's other programmes
such as HELP Programme for Higher Education. "We are supporting 40
undergraduate Malaysian students who go to Japan's graduate schools
under a national scholarship provided by Japan's Ministry of
Education. Seventy other students have also gone to Japan after
graduating from the University of Selangor Technology.
"In addition, another 150 Malaysian students are studying in Japan,
scattered in 55 to 60 universities, after completing a two-year study
in the Japanese Language and passing the examination at a
pre-education centre in the University of Malaya."

According to him, Japan has mooted the idea of establishing the Japan
International University of Technology within Malaysia which he
described as the Japan-style Education of Technology, not only for
Malaysian students but also those in the region. Masahiko was
accompanied by his wife Yoko Horie, 60, who is a graduate of child
psychology. Also present were Vice-Consul Yuki Okada, who is based in
Sabah, and the Borneo Biodiversity & Ecosystems Conservation (BBEC)
Team Leader from Japan Hasegawa. Masahito said a happy surprise for
him is the fact that eight professors and 900 students are learning
Japanese in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).

"The good news is that quite recently, the Tokyo University of Foreign
Studies have decided to set up their Liaison Office in Sabah. This is
the International Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of
Asia and Africa (ILCAA) also linked with the University of Sabah."

Given this effort, he called for more student exchange activity
between Japan and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, he said Japan has expressed its apology, including to the
Malaysian people, and Kota Kinabalu too, and also in Sandakan, for the
damages caused during the Second World War.

"This is because of the Japanese Occupation, meaning bombings took
place in Sandakan. And that is one of the reasons why the centre of
Sabah has moved from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu."

Saying Japan is repentant over what has happened during the war, the
Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia said his country has fortunately
succeeded in restoring itself after the rubbles and ashes of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki and everywhere in Japan.

"Our rebuilding and restoration process to Tun Mahathir, I thought,
there must be something to learn for Malaysia. Our restoration is
built on education for Japan and human work ethics. These are basics.

"The Malaysian leadership also places strong emphasis on education
with human resource as the base of nation-building. Malaysia has
learned some of our good concepts. This is our interaction."

Masahiko, however, acknowledged that the relationship between Malaysia
and Japan is an equal partnership.

"Japan succeeded in its restoration before Malaysia but Malaysia has
followed the last 20 years. Now it is almost a developed country.
Malaysia and Japan are partners on an equal footing.

"We are co-operating with each other for peace and stability of the
region, not only for Asia but also the world."

Noting that Malaysia is so much developed, he said: "I believe
personally Malaysia need not wait until 2020. Maybe before 2020,
Malaysia will become a fully developed country."

The Japanese Ambassador added that Japan is re-evaluating investments
in Malaysia. Malaysia's comparative advantage has been re-evaluated
highly due to four factors - political and social stability; language
ability of Malaysians who can speak two, three or four languages
including their dialects; high level of skilled labour; and
multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. "All these are generating a
synergy effect."

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=57141


-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of
the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a
message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)
*******************************************