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Tuesday 20 April 2010

Time To Revisit Look East Policy - Najib

TOKYO, April 20 (Bernama) -- While more than 15,000 Malaysians have benefited from the Look East Policy introduced 28 years ago, Prime Minister Datuk Seri 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, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Hatoyama's wife, Miyuki, and Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, who is also acting Foreign Minister, and his wife, Datin Seri Masnah Rais.

Espousing on the 1Malaysian concept, Najib, who is on a four-day visit to Japan beginning yesterday, 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.

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