OSAKA, Feb 23 — Malaysia appreciates Japan’s commitment towards its cooperation shown following both countries’ enhanced ties under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in December last year.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said throughout his seven-day working visit to the country, he received valuable input on behalf of Malaysia in various fields, including Technical and Vocational Education and Training, the halal sector, and disaster management.
“I followed up on matters only one and a half months after the Prime Minister visited Japan. They really appreciated this follow-up visit.
“More importantly, we received a commitment from the Japanese government thanks to the Prime Minister’s visit in December to boost Malaysia’s diplomatic ties concerning the CSP,” he told the Malaysian press at the end of his visit to Tokyo and Osaka today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida issued a joint statement about boosting bilateral ties to the CSP level during the latter’s working visit last year.
Zahid added there is much to gain as a result of the working visit in the field of TVET as Japan has had TVET-integrated education institutions for the past 35 years, and has successfully nurtured students who excelled in the sector.
“We can see how Japan is so developed, they have TVET-integrated Kosen institutions and they turn them into professional institutions…. in Japan, TVET is not the second choice but the main choice,” he said, speaking as the National TVET Council Committee chairman.
Zahid, accompanied by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) chairman Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, and officials from higher education institutes, had earlier visited the National Technology Institute of the Tokyo College (Tokyo Kosen) to study the Kosen model.
The model emphasises a comprehensive TVET learning concept by providing a five-year learning programme to students as young as 15 who are keen in the field.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the government intents to send more Malaysian students to Japan to further their studies, to empower the local TVET sector.
“This is because we have received offers for our students to further their studies in Japan, especially those from Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and the Malaysian Technical Universities Network (MTUN), as well as Japanese student exchanges to Malaysia,” he said.
MTUN is a network of four technical-based universities, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), and Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP).
While in Osaka, Zahid witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding (MoU) by Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC) with two Japanese entities in the halal sector, which will boost bilateral trade in the halal industry.
Together with National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus and the Malaysian delegation, he was also briefed about disaster management during their Osaka visit.
Zahid’s working visit is his first visit to Japan since his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister under the Madani government administration in December 2022.
— Bernama
