Choose the best of what Japan has to offer: Tun M

Source from (The Sun Daily): http://www.thesundaily.my/news/512719

Published: October 11, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 11, 2012): While the Look East policy remains relevant, Malaysia needs to choose the values that it wants to adopt from Japan, says former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Although the current Japan is more Westernised than 30 years ago, there are still good values that Malaysia can adopt from Japan in order to further grow its economy, he said.
"We must continue to adopt the values of others for the future but this time...pick and choose the right ones," he said.

Mahathir was delivering a dinner talk in conjunction with the Look East Policy conference held here yesterday.
The Japanese work ethics and their spirit of innovation are things that are beneficial for Malaysia, he said.

"My Japanese friend asks me whether I will still look to the east in the future with Japan having an economic problem for the last 20 years. I told my Japanese friend that I look east now to see what are the mistakes done so that we can avoid it," he said in a jest, drawing laughter from the floor.
Dr Mahathir also suggested setting up a Japanese university in Malaysia, saying that it has become more costly to send students straight to Japan.

By having the university here, it will not only allow easier transfer of knowledge and culture between the two countries but give an opportunity to poor students to study Japan's culture in Malaysia, he said.

Mahathir, who was Malaysia's fourth prime minister and served for 22 years, announced the Look East Policy in 1982. – Bernama