‘New’ Look East Policy focuses on education

TOKYO: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia will continue the Look East Policy and further enhance it.

The prime minister said Malaysia also hoped for greater cooperation from Japan, especially in education.

He said he believed that it was the Japanese culture and value system that contributed to Japan’s recovery after the war (World War Two) and ability to develop very fast to catch up with western developed countries.

“This time under the Look East Policy, we will be looking at the whole Japanese system of education, right from kindergarten to higher education,” he said at a joint press conference with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe here yesterday.

Earlier, Dr Mahathir and Abe had a delegation meeting at the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office.

Dr Mahathir, who was on the second day of his three-day visit to Japan, said he also welcomed a proposal that JR Kyushu Railway Company would be looking into the transportation problem of Malaysia and to help Malaysia and advise how to run the national railway.

He said during the meeting, both sides were very concerned about natural disasters which seemed to befall countries facing the Pacific.

“We are not able to extend much help but I hope we can do something to mitigate the disaster occurring in Japan and countries facing the Pacific.

“We are also concerned about the situation in East Asia. We are aware of the threats posed by North Korea. We feel that the best way to handle this problem is to have contact with them, which Malaysia has done.

“We believe if Malaysia and Japan work closely together we may be able to influence the course of the development in this area. So that all countries here will experience peace and stability,” said Dr Mahathir.