TIME TO REVISIT LOOK EAST POLICY - MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB

From Khairdzir Yunus

TOKYO, April 20 (Bernama) -- While more than 15,000 Malaysians have
benefited from the Look East Policy introduced 28 years ago, Prime Minister
Najib Tun Razak says it is now perhaps timely to revisit
the policy and introduce new and innovative fields.

He said Malaysia and Japan both shared the views that it was now timely to
revisit the policy to introduce new and innovative areas such as cutting edge
technology, green technology, sustainable technology and biotechnology.

Najib welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's remarks that
Malaysia and Japan should realise the establishment of a new institution in the
form of Malaysia-Japan University which would symbolise not only their bilateral
ties but also a strong leadership role that Japan intended to play in Malaysia
and within Asean.

"We believe the creation of such institution will be a lasting legacy that
Japan can leave behind for the future development of Asean countries," he said
at a banquet hosted by Hatoyama at the Prime Minister's Office, Sori Kantei on
the occasion of Najib's first official visit to Japan, here Monday night.

Present were Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor, Hatoyama's wife,
Miyuki, and Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais
Yatim, who is also acting Foreign Minister, and his wife, Masnah
Rais.

Espousing on the 1Malaysian concept, Najib, who is on a four-day visit to
Japan beginning Monday, explained to Hatoyama metaphorically, "If
you imagine a house, the roof symbolises One Malaysia, which forms our
overarching guiding philosophy for the nation and the two pillars constitute the
Government Transformation Programme and the Economic Transformation Programme.

"And the floor (is) the 10th and 11th Malaysia plans which provide financial
resources and incentives for us to reach our goal by the year 2020

"In the spirit of 1Malaysia, we can move together as one people and one
nation," said Najib.

The Prime Minister said with Japan under the leadership of Hatoyama,
bilateral relations between Malaysia and Japan would go from strength to
strength.

"I look forward to a new era of closer cooperation and collaboration between
Malaysia and Japan," he said.


"Prime Minister Hatoyama is right to say that if you want to reform, there
will be some pain before we get to gain and we all know that the pain is
immediate but the gain is later.

"But we have to be steadfast if we want to change our nation and transform
our nation to become more unified, stronger and more prosperous," said Najib.

He said the people must be strong in their resolve to continue with the
reforms so that the ultimate goal could be realised.

"So I wish Prime Minister Hatoyama all the very best in his journey (to
reform his country) and I hope to see him in Malaysia in the near future," added
Najib.


-- BERNAMA