TOKYO, Dec 16 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reassured Japanese investors that, although the new Madani government is just one year old, it is stable, with very clear policies for Malaysia to forge a strong growth path.
Anwar said this at a roundtable meeting with captains of industries in Tokyo, after a one-to-one session with three Japanese corporations.
“We have thought out on how to deal with the energy transition, including renewable energy under the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) and the New Industrial Master Plan which outlined what we want to achieve and our mission,” he said.
He added that the country is also focusing on digital transformation.
“I’m here to listen to your views, on what needs to be done to facilitate or even accelerate the process of engagement and investments,” the prime minister said.
Anwar, who is on a five-day visit to Japan, said he was impressed by the show of support for Malaysia during the roundtable, which saw the participation of 25 companies.
Participants include Masaya Hasegawa, founder of Shinzen Energy; Kunio Yamada, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Rohto Pharmaceutical; Hidehiro Yokoo, senior executive officer of Denso Corporation; Takeshi Saito, president of ENEOS Holdings and Nobuhiko Murakami, chairman of Toyota Tsusho Corporation, among others.
Earlier on, the prime minister met with top executives of three leading Japanese multinational companies, ROHM WAKO Co. Ltd, led by its chairman Datuk Yoshioka Yosuke; NEC Co. Ltd led by senior vice-president Matsuki Toshiya; and Mitsui & Co. president and CEO Kenichi Hori.
Anwar was accompanied by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
During the meeting, he assured the participants that there are still many opportunities for Japanese investors in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Tengku Zafrul, in his opening remarks at the roundtable, noted that the event underscored Malaysia’s commitment to laying down a stronger foundation for economic and bilateral relations for the future.
He also pointed to the newly set up Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre that began its operations on Dec 1 as a one-stop centre for investors to do business in Malaysia.
Anwar also thanked the Japan–Malaysia Economic Association (JAMECA) for helping to arrange today’s meetings and the roundtable session that provided the opportunity for Japanese captains of industries to interact directly with the prime minister.
Japan has been Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner since 2015.
In 2022, trade with Japan was valued at RM181.51 billion (US$41.21 billion) or 6.4 per cent of Malaysia’s total trade.
As of June 2023, a total of 2,778 projects by Japanese companies have been implemented in Malaysia, with investments amounting to RM91.89 billion (US$27.43 billion).
Meanwhile, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), during the one-on-one meeting with ROHM Wako, the company had emphasised that facilitation — especially from MITI and MIDA — is crucial to ensure the stable supply of clean water for its semiconductor components production.
Last year, ROHM-WAKO Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd announced its plans to invest RM910 million to expand its electronic components facility in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan.
Currently, the company employs 2,200 Malaysians, the majority of whom are Kelantanese, and the expansion plan is set to create more employment opportunities for local residents while increasing highly skilled talents.
The Japanese electronics manufacturer will also continue to explore future investment opportunities to produce semiconductor components, utilising 100 per cent renewable energy towards the goal of zero carbon emission.
The other two companies in the one-to-one meeting, namely NEC Co Ltd and Mitsui & Co, had also indicated their commitment to increase their investment in the future.
In his post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Tengku Zafrul said the one-on-one meeting between the prime minister and ROHM Wako proves that the government remains committed to Kelantan’s development.
He noted that ROHM Wako is the largest investor in the semiconductor sector in the state.
“Under the NIMP, the government aims for inclusive industrial development, so that every state in Malaysia would enjoy the benefits of a balanced development.
“To this end, the prime minister has held a one-to-one meeting with the top management of ROHM Wako in Tokyo to convince them to continue investing in Kelantan,” he said.
The MITI minister added that the ministry and MIDA, as well as the Kelantan state government, will continue to facilitate the inflow of investments into Kelantan.
