Japan’s Abe Promises to Revamp Malaysia’s Look East Policy

June 12, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday that he will support his Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir Mohamad, who made a comeback as prime minister in May, in his bid to revitalize a policy to boost his nation's economy using Japan's success as a model.

"Japan will help Malaysia upgrade the Look East policy by promoting bilateral personnel exchanges, and promoting the development of human resources in and transferring scientific technologies to" the Southeast Asian nation, Abe told a joint press conference after their meeting held at the Japanese leader's office in central Tokyo.

The Look East policy was formulated by Mahathir when he previously served as prime minister, from 1981 to 2003.

At the bilateral summit, the two leaders also agreed to work together to promote investment in Malaysia from Japan and resolve the issue of huge debts owed by Malaysia.

On the security front, Abe and Mahathir confirmed their intention to enhance the two countries' defense cooperation in the South China Sea, where China has been expanding its presence.

They also exchanged opinions about North Korean issues.

Regarding the historic U.S.-North Korea summit, held in Singapore on Tuesday, Mahathir said that Washington and Pyongyang should deepen their dialogue, adding that good results will not be produced if concessions are made by only one side.

In a speech later on Tuesday at a meeting organized by a league of Japanese lawmakers promoting the friendship between the two countries, Mahathir said that Malaysia still has many things to learn from Japan's traditional values, such as the diligence of its people.

As a message to Japanese politicians, Mahathir, 92, noted that it is necessary to combine young generations' idealistic way of thinking and experience held by veterans.

Mahathir left Japan for home in the afternoon, ending his three-day visit to the country. Jiji Press