We need greater partnership with Japan, says Najib

Source from (The Sun Daily): http://www.thesundaily.my/news/512559

Published: October 11, 2012
Pauline Wong
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Najib speaking at the opening of the seminar on The Look 
East Policy – A New Dimension and the MAJECA-JAMECA 
31st Joint Conference yesterday. BERNAMA 

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 10, 2012): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has called for greater partnership between Malaysian and Japanese companies in order to continue the successes of the Look East Policy.

He said he welcomed the collaboration between Malaysian companies and Japanese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) especially in the areas of green technology, key technical services and other high value-added sectors.

"The acquisition of skills, knowledge and values was central to the success of the Look East Policy, so let us apply them further by widening the net. These strategic partnerships will contribute towards making Malaysia an innovation and knowledge-driven economy," he said.

The premier was addressing participants at the 31st Malaysia-Japan Economic Association (Majeca) – Japan-Malaysia (Jameca) Conference 2012, held at a hotel here today.
Najib said as western economies struggle with poor prospects for global growth, many eyes look East again.

"Thirty years ago, China's gross domestic product was a little over US$200 billion. Now, it is about US$7.3 trillion. Japan is the world's third largest economy, and home to the worlds' biggest city. Asean is now a bubbling hotpot of opportunities, with a US$2 trillion economy that is growing fast," he said.

He said in order to achieve Malaysia's goal of US$15,000 annual per capita by the end of 2020, more investments from abroad, more technology and more knowledge are needed.
"It is in this context that we stand to benefit from looking East once more," he said.

Najib said among the things which can continue to be done to ensure that the policy, mooted 30 years ago by then-prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is to create more targeted programmes.
"Future Look East programmes should be more targeted, more closely linked to specific outcomes. We need to ask what kind of skills we want to acquire, in which areas, and to what levels," he said.
Najib also called for the building of stronger institutions of education between Malaysia and Japan.