PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Japan have agreed to strengthen educational collaboration to elevate bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership level.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba discussed various initiatives in the education sector, including establishing a branch campus of Japan’s Tsukuba University in Malaysia.
Other collaborations include partnerships between Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and Waseda University, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Japan International Institute of Technology (JIIT).
“Keio University, which is an important university, was his (Shigeru Ishiba) university with which I had a good engagement.
“So, I am now appealing to him to make sure that Keio University participates in some of our programmes, including in terms of civilisational dialogue because there is an interest to engage between Islam and Taoism,” he said during a joint press conference with his Japanese counterpart following their bilateral meeting today.
These educational initiatives are part of broader efforts to strengthen Malaysia-Japan relations through greater cooperation in trade, investment and clean energy.
Expressing gratitude on behalf of the Malaysian delegation, Anwar emphasised the importance of the meeting, noting Malaysia’s distinction as the first country visited by Ishiba since his appointment.
“This bilateral meeting is one of the most extensive I’ve experienced, underscoring the seriousness with which Prime Minister Ishiba views Malaysia as a key partner. It is a testament to our shared commitment to collaborate on a number of critical issues,” Anwar said.
The discussions covered a broad range of areas, with trade and investment taking centre stage. Energy and sustainability were also highlighted as Anwar acknowledged the longstanding partnership between PETRONAS and Japan in liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade.
The Malaysian prime minister also lauded Japan’s role in advancing carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) initiatives and delivering carbon-neutral LNG cargo to Shikoku Electric and Hiroshima Gas, which aligns with Malaysia’s clean energy policy.
Earlier today, Ishiba, who is on a two-day official visit to Malaysia, was accorded a formal welcoming ceremony at the Perdana Putra Complex.
Japan is a key economic partner for Malaysia, with a total of 2,821 manufacturing projects involving Japanese participation implemented in Malaysia as of June 2024.
These projects represent investments worth RM105.2 billion (US$30.4 billion), generating employment for approximately 344,996 people.
Japan is the fourth-largest foreign investor in Malaysia’s manufacturing sector and Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner, with total trade valued at RM156.75 billion (US$34.41 billion) in 2023.
