Crown Prince Naruhito Meets Malaysians With Japanese Ancestry

KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 (Bernama) -- A group of Malaysians with Japanese ancestry on Sunday had an audience with visiting Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito. The 30-minute gathering at a leading hotel here saw the prince interacting with guests who included four families with Japanese descent residing in the country. They represented the Mori, Kawauchi, Amafuji and Yusof families. AmBank Group chairman Azman Hashim, whose grandmother Tamano Murakami came to this country in the late 1890s, said it was a great honour for him to be among those accorded an audience with Naruhito. "It's a huge privilege for us to be able to meet and shake the crown prince’s hand," said Azman who represented the Yusof family. Azman, who is Malaysia-Japan Economic Association president, said he still felt connected with his Japanese ancestors and hoped relations between the two countries would further strengthen especially in the economic sector. Earlier on Sunday, Naruhito prince visited the National Museum and graced the 14th Japanese Speech Contest at the Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur. His five-day visit to Malaysia is the highlight of the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Malaysia-Japan bilateral relations. --BERNAMA