Newsletter No. 883
News-Analysis
January 26, 2008

 

JAPAN-MALAYSIA MILITARY COOPERATION TAKES CENTER STAGE

Two separate stories have just appeared about Japan-Malaysia military cooperation, a field which seems to be rather new in this bilateral relationship.

Yesterday, Japan gave a grant of almost US$4.4 million for “the Project for Improvement of Equipment for Maritime Security Enhancement” in the Malacca Straits. Signing the agreement in Putrajaya was Ambassador Masahiko Horie for Japan and Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Tan Sri Rastam Mohd Isa representing the Malaysian government.

This grant will be used to upgrade the Malaysian Sea Surveillance System, which uses radar to watch the shipping traffic, and was originally set up in 1996. The upgrade program includes the installation of a radio direction finder system and electro-optronics system on Malaysia’s remote sensor sites. Ambassador Horie commented: “We take note that the high expectation of international users and increased volume of maritime traffic have placed considerable demands and financial burden to the Malaysian government. As such, Japan remains committed in providing the impetus for a fundamental transformation of Malaysia’s maritime security through the development and improvement of essential capabilities.”

In a separate story produced by Xinhua on the 21st, it was reported that Japan wants to use the Malaysian Peacekeeping Training Center (MPTC) at Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan state, as a model to build a similar center in Tokyo. This interest was expressed by Japanese Deputy Defense Minister Kohei Matsuda upon a visit to Malaysian Deputy Defense Minister Zainal Abidin Zin in Kuala Lumpur.

Indeed, the very fact that Japan Defense Ministry officials are now calling on their colleagues in other Asian countries is worthy of note. My understanding is that in the past, during the days of the old Defense Agency, almost all SDF international exchanges were with the Americans alone. Mostly below the radar of the media and the Japanese public, significant changes seem to be afoot.

At any rate, according to the Malaysian deputy defense minister, the Japanese Defense Ministry is interested in learning how Malaysia managed to make MPTC famous worldwide. Also, they discussed the possibility of student exchanges, aimed at expanding their knowledge in defense. The Malaysian side also asked the Japanese Defense Ministry to supply lecturers to teach the Japanese language at the National Defense University of Malaysia.

This is something to keep an eye on in the future. Let’s hope that the Japanese media, and not just Xinhua, starts picking up on this story.

DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC TIES

Despite the interesting developments above, the fields of economy and diplomacy are certainly still the main avenues of Japan-Malaysia relations. A little over a week ago Ambassador Masahiko Horie told the local press that Japan expects to maintain its status as the Number One investor in Malaysia in 2008. He added: “The various representatives of several Japanese companies say they are happy doing business here thanks to the stable environment and the availability of skilled labor.” Horie made all these comments while on a tour in Penang for two days visiting Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas and Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon.

Turning to the Malaysia-Japan International University of Technology (MJIUT) which seems close to his heart, Ambassador Horie said that while Malaysia would take ownership of the institution, it would be a unique one to be run by both Japanese and Malaysian experts in various fields. Students will be exposed to advanced Japanese technology, and the first students will begin arriving in mid-2009. The exact location for the new university hasn’t yet been determined, but it will be based “somewhere in the Klang Valley.” Three professors from Japan are already based in Kuala Lumpur and are preparing the groundwork for the new institution.

Finally, we should make brief mention of a photo exhibition that was held at the Malaysian embassy in Tokyo from December 26th to 31st. The roughly seventy photos of the exhibit showed photos of various events that had taken place in the history of Malaysia-Japan relations. This exhibition was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Japan. The leading Japanese guest at the initial reception was former Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu.

Kaifu had visited Malaysia and four other Southeast Asian countries in the spring of 1991 during his short term as Japanese leader.