Oleh/By  	:	DATO SERI DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue	:	SERI PERDANA, PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA
Tarikh/Date	:	10-01-2002
Tajuk/Title 	:	THE OFFICIAL DINNER IN HONOUR OF 
			H.E. JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI PRIME 
			MINISTER OF JAPAN
Versi 		:	ENGLISH
Penyampai	:  	PM 
		    

       Allow  me first of all to extend a warm welcome  to
   Your  Excellency  and  members  of  your  delegation  to
   Malaysia   and   to  our  new  administrative   capital,
   Putrajaya.  I  am  glad to be able  to  reciprocate  the
   gracious  hospitality accorded to me and  my  delegation
   on  my  visit to Tokyo last June. I hope that your  stay
   in  Malaysia  although brief will  provide  you  with  a
   glimpse  of  Malaysia  and the  efforts  being  made  by
   Malaysians to develop the country.
   
   2.    I  am happy to note the close and cooperative ties
   that  exist  between  our  two countries.  The  frequent
   exchanges  of high-level visits, the substantial  growth
   in  trade,  investment, technical  cooperation  and  the
   expansion  of our collaboration into new areas  such  as
   Information  Technology are testimonies to  the  healthy
   and  dynamic partnership that we have nurtured over  the
   years.   Your  visit  today and the discussions  we  had
   this  afternoon will no doubt expand further  the  scope
   and depth of our bilateral cooperation.
   
   3.    We  have  always regarded Japan to  be  an  active
   partner in the economic development of Malaysia  and  we
   are   confident  that  it  will  remain   so.   Japanese
   investors   have   continued  to   contribute   to   the
   development  of  our  manufacturing  industry.  Japanese
   technology  has  facilitated our industrial  development
   and   Japanese  institutions  of  higher  learning  have
   assisted   in  the  training  of  our  human  resources.
   Japan's  financial  assistance has also  allowed  us  to
   proceed  with  our  financial  development  particularly
   during  the  crisis of 1997. Malaysia truly  appreciates
   your  country's contribution and hopes that  Japan  will
   continue  to  be  an  active  and  reliable  partner  in
   development.
   
   4.    In  terms  of  Foreign Direct  Investments,  Japan
   continues  to  be an important source for Malaysia.  For
   the   period  January-October  2001,  a  total  of   134
   projects  with  capital investments  of  RM3.05  billion
   were  approved. Japan remains the second biggest foreign
   investor   after   the   United  States.   However   the
   involvement   of   Japanese  companies   in   Malaysia's
   Multimedia  Super Corridor, the country's  R&D  hub  for
   IT,  has  been  somewhat limited. We hope the  level  of
   investments will improve.
   
   5.    As for trade, Japan is also Malaysia's second most
   important  trading  partner  accounting  for  about   17
   percent  of  Malaysia's global  trade.   Last  year,  21
   percent  of  Malaysia's imports came from Japan  and  13
   percent  of  our exports went to Japan.   We  hope  that
   more  Malaysian products could find greater access  into
   the  Japanese  market.     We  are  told  that  Japanese
   tourists fear coming to Malaysia because it is a  Muslim
   country.    We   have  been  a  Muslim   country   since
   independence and Japanese businessmen and tourists  have
   been  coming here.  We have not changed one bit.   There
   is  no  ground for this fear.  The Japanese press  which
   is    familiar   with   Malaysia   should   clear   this
   misunderstanding.
   
   6.    In 1982 Malaysia adopted the "Look East Policy" as
   part  of  our  development strategy.  We were  convinced
   that   Japan's  phenomenal  rise  as  an  industrialised
   nation  after the Second World War, was due in  part  to
   the  work  ethics  and values adopted  by  the  Japanese
   workforce.   Eager to emulate Japan's success,  Malaysia
   decided  to send students and trainees to Japan.   Since
   then,  more  than 13,000 Malaysians have obtained  their
   tertiary  education as well as benefited  from  advanced
   training  under the policy.  We still believe  that  the
   Look  East  Policy  is relevant.  We  trust  that  Japan
   would  be  ready to provide more concessions and  places
   for   Malaysian  students  and  trainees   in   Japanese
   universities and technical institutions in the future.
   
   7.    Malaysia  is  very concerned to see  the  economic
   recovery   of  Japan.   We  know  of  Your  Excellency's
   determination  to  implement  the  economic   structural
   reforms  aimed  at  revitalising the economy.   We  hope
   your  plan will succeed given the longer time  that  you
   will get to see it through.
   
   8.    At  the regional and international level both  our
   countries   are   active   participants   and    closely
   cooperating  in many important forums such  as  ASEAN+3,
   ARF  and ASEM. Malaysia is especially pleased that Japan
   has   continuously  taken  a  great  interest  in  ASEAN
   affairs   and   rendered  her  assistance  in   numerous
   programmes   including  trade  and   investment,   human
   resource development and information technology.
   
   9.    In  the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks
   in   the  US,  the  international  community  has   been
   grappling with how to stop terrorist attacks.   Malaysia
   believes  that  even if we wipe out the Talibans,  there
   is  no  guarantee  there  will  be  no  future  acts  of
   terrorism.   The only way is to examine the root  causes
   and   remove   them.   There  is  no  doubt   that   the
   Palestinian  issue needs to be resolved if  we  want  to
   stop  others  from taking the law into their  own  hands
   and  deciding to criminally terrorise the world.   World
   opinion must be brought to bear on this issue if we  are
   serious about ending terrorism.
   
   10.   Let  me take this opportunity to again express  my
   sincere  appreciation  to you for making  this  official
   visit  to  Malaysia. I hope that your short  visit  here
   will  be  a  memorable one to you and  members  of  your
   delegation.

   Sumber : Pejabat Perdana Menteri