Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : MANILA
Tarikh/Date : 15/12/87
Tajuk/Title : STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE THE
PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
Madam Chairperson;
Your Excellency Mr. Noboru Takeshita;
Your Majesty and Your Excellencies;
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We consider it an honour that His Excellency Mr. Noboru
Takeshita finds it appropriate to meet with us from the
ASEAN region in his first overseas trip as the new Prime
Minister of Japan. This I believe is an indication of the
importance the Government of Japan places on its relations
with ASEAN. It further reflects the strength of Japan's
commitment and belief in the future prospects of ASEAN. We
in ASEAN welcome the gesture as it will contribute to our
efforts to maintain, enhance and further consolidate the
bond of friendship and cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.
Your Excellency,
2. ASEAN-Japan partnership, if I may say so, could
definitely solve some if not most of our regional economic
problems. More than that, it could pave the way to resolving
many international economic issues related to debt burden,
financial market instability and protectionism. ASEAN-Japan
cooperation covers all economic and political elements which
could also be found in other cooperative relationship
between developed and developing countries. To our mind,
ASEAN-Japan cooperation could serve as a model for
cooperative relationship between the developed countries of
the North and the developing countries or group of countries
in the South. We hope that these relations would move away
from the donor-recipient stereotype to a truly cooperative
spirit that would be mutually beneficial and in conditions
that both could be proud of.
3. On behalf of my ASEAN colleagues, I would like to
express our appreciation to Japan and to your excellency
personally, for the initiative taken by Japan to allocate a
sum of not less than US$2 billion to ASEAN for the
development of our private sector. This gesture on Japan's
part is a demonstration of Japan's desire to assist in
ASEAN's economic development. We are pleased that Japan will
take into account ASEAN's wishes in formulating the
framework of this new ASEAN-Japan Development Fund. ASEAN's
stand is that as a new initiative, the fund has to be over
and above the existing development assistance programmes
extended by Japan to ASEAN, on terms and conditions that
are meaningful and concessional. In addition, the fund must
be equitably accessible to all ASEAN countries and its
loans should be untied. We also hope that the fund will
include a mechanism to insure ASEAN countries against the
risks of further appreciation of the Yen and that there will
be significant efforts to promote market access in Japan for
ASEAN products.
4. The next step is for ASEAN and Japanese officials to
work out the implementation details of the Fund. ASEAN will
readily submit viable projects for funding. I hope that
with the close working relationships which have developed
between our officials, the ASEAN-Japan Development Fund will
soon become a reality for the ASEAN countries.
5. It cannot be denied that Japan has played a major role
in contributing towards industrial development of most ASEAN
member countries. However, much as we appreciate Japan's
contribution, we are concerned that more and more Japanese
investments are shifting away from this region to the USA,
EEC and China. On behalf of my ASEAN friends here, we would
like to urge the Government of Japan to actively encourage
its private sector to invest their surplus capital in ASEAN.
ASEAN has just reached another milestone in its economic
cooperation with the just concluded Meeting of the ASEAN
Heads of Government. New measures have been announced in the
area of industrial cooperation in pursuing ASEAN's long-term
economic objectives.
6. The ASEAN Industrial Joint Venture Scheme in which
Japanese private investors have shown very keen interest has
been greatly improved, and we hope Japanese businessmen will
take advantage of this improved scheme to invest in ASEAN.
ASEAN with its various and varied resources, its liberal
investment policies and attractive investment incentives
offers great opportunities for Japanese businessmen. We hope
that the Japanese Government would further encourage its
small and medium-sized firms to invest in ASEAN by
relocating their industries and encouraging effective
transfer of their technology. At the same time, we in ASEAN
would like to see the Government of Japan introduce measures
that would allow for buy-back arrangements of products
manufactured by Japanese concerns in ASEAN. Mr. Prime
Minister, this arrangement would be the single-most
important contribution Japan could make, aimed at realising
the objectives of the ASEAN-Japan Development Fund.
Your Excellency
7. We are all concerned with the political stability and
security of our region. With these in mind we have proposed
the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality or ZOPFAN and more
recently, the Nuclear Weapons Free Zone. Our emphasis has
always been on the need to build up regional resilience
through national resilience. In this regard we have
repeatedly urged outside powers to refrain from using
countries in this region for political experiments to test
their ideological theories. Let us proceed with our
preoccupations in bringing economic development and social
progress to our people. If at all outside powers have a
role, it is in this sphere. The financial and human cost in
assisting us in this area is certainly less. It is more
acceptable to their domestic constituency if compared to
the high expenses in any military venture. Theirs as well
as our interest in maintaining political and economic
stability in the region can be secured without bloodshed and
expensive weaponry.
Your Excellency
8. ASEAN-Japan type of cooperation on Kampuchea in the
interest of a durable peace and stability in the region
should be extended to the fields of trade, finance and
investment. It would be a pity if the understanding achieved
in the political field is not utilised for the equally
important economic field.
9. Looking at the current political economic situation in
the Pacific region, you will agree with me that ASEAN is the
brightest spot with the greatest potential for rapid growth.
If the 21st century is to be the century of the Pacific, as
some have predicted, then cooperation among Pacific
countries, particularly Japan and the ASEAN countries is
imperative. Japan's technology and management skills can
combine profitably with ASEAN's vast resources in men and
material to contribute fully to the strength of the Pacific.
ASEAN can then develop into a strong economic entity which
can contribute to the growth of world trade. It can become
one of the affluent markets of the world. Japan and other
Pacific Rim countries and indeed the world cannot but
benefit from ASEAN prosperity. It is in the interest of
Japan and other developed countries to help ASEAN succeed in
its industrialisation programme. Even the short spell of
prosperity ASEAN enjoyed in the 60's and 70's has proven
beneficial to Japan and other developed countries.
10. Japan is physically very close to the ASEAN countries.
Such closeness must result in mutual interchanges not only
in trade but also in culture. There could also be more
exchange of visits not only by officials, but also by the
people as a whole. The recent rise in the value of the Yen
may inhibit ASEAN travellers going to Japan, but the very
same rise should facilitate Japanese travel to ASEAN
countries. The contacts that will result from such travel
will help increase our knowledge of each other and our
cooperation.
Your Excellency,
11. As we approach the year 2000, it is our hope that Japan
will initiate changes in its policies that will effectively
bring about an enhanced political, socio-economic, and
cultural role in not only the South-East Asian region but
also in the global context. Such an enhanced role should be
achieved before the turn of this century. ASEAN is
confident that Japan would be able to maintain and sustain
this role given the tremendous economic and monetary
resources that have been building up in Japan since the
70s. Japan needs to play a positive role commensurate with
the trade surplus position that she has achieved. Our
expectation is that Japan will conduct itself with the kind
of sensitivity that it has shown since the end of the war.
12. I have been rather frank and forthright in stating
ASEAN's expectations. I trust that ASEAN-Japan relations is
such that frankness is acceptable. The necessity for urgent
corrective action and extraordinary efforts cannot be
overstated. The world is going through one of the most
critical period in its history and it needs courage and
understanding on the part of everyone if we are going to
regain equilibrium and restore prosperity.
Thank you.
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