Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is on a six-day official working visit to Japan to discuss initiatives to further strengthen Malaysia-Japan long standing relations and multifaceted collaboration.
YAB Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a meeting with his counterpart, His Excellency Fumio Kishida and it will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. The visit to the Land of the Rising Sun is the first for Ismail Sabri, following his appointment as Malaysia’s Prime Minister in 2021.
High on the agenda include the Look East Policy’s 40th Anniversary commemoration, re-establishing people-to-people connection, and post COVID-19 cooperation. The two leaders will also exchange views on the importance of international order and regional stability.
On April 20, Ismail and Kishida held a Japan-Malaysia summit and spoke on the phone on various regional and international issues.
Malaysian Embassy Chargé d’affaires ad interim Nor’ Azam Mohd Idrus said that among the matters to be discussed during the Friday meeting would be bilateral ties, including cooperation related to Covid-19, reopening of borders and the setting up of Tsukuba University in Malaysia.
Although Malaysia had reopened its international borders last April 1, Japan has yet to fully do so.
The visit will also commemorate the 40th anniversary of Malaysia's Look East Policy, which has had a significant influence on strengthening the bilateral ties between Malaysia and Japan. Both presidents will witness the signing of three memoranda of cooperation.
They are the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Government of Malaysia and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan on the Aircraft Industry; Memorandum of Cooperation on a Basic Framework for Information Partnership for Proper Operation of the System Pertaining to Foreign Human Resources with the Status of Resident of “Specified Skilled Worker”; and the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Government of Malaysia and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan on Cooperation in the Field of Youth and Sports.
Ismail Sabri is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address at Nikkei’s 27th International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo themed “Redefining Asia’s Role in a Divided World” on Thursday.
Nor’ Azam said in his keynote address, that the Prime Minister is expected to touch on efforts in enhancing regional economic integration, strengthening negotiation and cooperation mechanisms, cooperation in addressing climate change, and also share the concept of Keluarga Malaysia.
YAB Prime Minister’s attendance at the 27th Nikkei Conference will provide a platform for Malaysia to share ideas and engage in initiatives aimed at greater economic cooperation between countries in the region.
As of 2021, Japan is Malaysia’s 3rd largest foreign investor in the manufacturing sector for implemented projects valued at RM90.9 billion (USD27.6 billion).
Ismail Sabri will be accompanied by several other Cabinet ministers during the visit. They include Minister of Foreign Affairs, YB Dato’ Sri Saifuddin Abdullah; Senior Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who is also International Trade and Industry Minister; Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan; Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and also the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to East Asia Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem.
