For decades, Japan and Malaysia have enjoyed a good relationship in various spheres such as trade, investment, education, technology and culture. After Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad assumed his premiership this year, the bilateral relationship between both countries gained renewed momentum with new aspirations by the government of Malaysia. Japan was the first country visited by our honorable prime minister and it signified the close relationship between Mahathir and Japan.
Upon achieving its independence in 1957, Malaysia's trade relations with Japan soared; the first Japanese investment in Malaysia was the joint venture of a textile manufacturing project undertaken in the same year. In subsequent years, the number of joint projects with Japan increased significantly, particularly in the 1970s.
After World War II, Japan managed to sustain high economic growth and emerged as the world's second-largest economy in 1981. The whole world was amazed by Japan's economic success. In 1982, Mahathir announced the Look East Policy during the Fifth Annual Joint Conference of MAJECA-JAMECA (Malaysia-Japan Economic Association and Japan-Malaysia Economic Association) at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur. This policy has played an important role in shaping the Malaysia-Japan relationship. The success of the policy has led to the establishment of the second iteration of the Look East Policy. During Mahathir's recent visit to Japan in June, both prime ministers vowed to revitalize and strengthen the Look East Policy, which underscored Mahathir's desire to have more collaboration between Malaysia and Japan, especially in the areas of technology and innovation.