TOKYO, May 24 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s brief working visit to Japan that ended today has strengthened the trade and investment ties between Malaysia and the Land of the Rising Sun.

This visit has also succeeded in securing new potential investments worth RM1.45 billion and potential exports valued at RM550 million from seven major Japanese companies, Anwar told the Malaysian media here at the conclusion of his visit.

"We welcome investments from Japanese companies from the electrical and electronics, robotics, chemicals and petrochemicals, digital economy, renewable energy and green technology sectors,” he said.

The visit, undertaken to participate in the 29th International Conference on the Future of Asia organised by Nikkei Inc, followed the elevation of bilateral relations with Japan to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in December 2023.

Anwar’s bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida also strengthens Kuala Lumpur-Tokyo cooperation in energy transition, renewable energy, and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.

Japan has also contributed ¥400 million (RM12.03 million) of Official Security Assistance (OSA) grant aid.

"We look forward to the July 2024 technical visit by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which comprises non-radioactive rare earth elements experts and industry players,” said Anwar.

In terms of education, the prime minister said student registration at the University of Tsukuba branch campus in Malaysia will begin in September this year, while Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia (UteM) Melaka are currently in talks for a collaboration with Waseda University.

The setting up of the University of Tsukuba branch campus in Malaysia is historic, being the first branch campus of a Japanese public university to be established in the country.

Accompanying the prime minister on this trip were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong. — Bernama