PUTRAJAYA, June 11 — Malaysia will welcome any investments from abroad — especially from Japan — that will raise the skills and wages of Malaysian workers.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said such investments would improve the competitiveness of the Malaysian economy through the application of new technology.

Speaking at the shareholders’ agreement signing ceremony between the Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corp for Transport and Urban Development (JOIN) and Tasco Bhd here today, Lim said JOIN could be the bridge which connects Malaysian companies to other parts of the world through its global network and direct links to Japan’s largest corporations.

With the signing of the agreement, JOIN, a Japanese government-private fund specialising in overseas infrastructure investment, has acquired a 30 per cent stake in Tasco-Yusen Gold Cold Sdn Bhd, a cold chain logistics arm of Tasco, for RM125 million.

The signing was witnessed by Lim and the Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Makio Miyagawa.

“JOIN’s investment in Malaysia is a testament of confidence and trust in the government and the policies to promote trade and greater infrastructure development,” Lim said.

He added that JOIN would be sharing its knowledge and technology which would benefit the country’s cold chain logistics industry. — Bernama