KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is set to woo investors and offer business deals during a trip to Japan that starts today, as he looks to cover a gaping debt hole and shift the country away from dependence on Chinese investments.
The visit marks his first foreign trip after returning to power in a shock election result last month, and indicates a shift back to the 92-year-old’s ‘Look East’ policy to strengthen ties with east Asia, especially Japan.
It is also seen as a sign of the South-east Asian country’s move away from China, which contentiously pumped billions of dollars into the scandal-tainted previous Datuk Seri Najib Razak administration. The new government has said some Chinese companies are now under suspicion of being used to cover up the graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
“The previous government may have engaged Japan, but certainly not with the enthusiasm it had for China,” said Shahriman Lockman, a senior analyst with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies.
The visit marks his first foreign trip after returning to power in a shock election result last month, and indicates a shift back to the 92-year-old’s ‘Look East’ policy to strengthen ties with east Asia, especially Japan.
It is also seen as a sign of the South-east Asian country’s move away from China, which contentiously pumped billions of dollars into the scandal-tainted previous Datuk Seri Najib Razak administration. The new government has said some Chinese companies are now under suspicion of being used to cover up the graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
“The previous government may have engaged Japan, but certainly not with the enthusiasm it had for China,” said Shahriman Lockman, a senior analyst with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies.
This seems to be like the WWII era when the Jap invaded and occupied Malaya. Then the Malays favoured the Jap invaders & occupiers over the Brit colonialists, while the Chinese just hated their century-old enemy, the Japs.
Mahathir has been reported as saying he is convinced "Malaysia will be successful like Japan provided that Malaysians possess the same Japanese work ethics, thinking and value systems as well as a sense of shame if they fail to deliver or do well in undertaking whatever task at hand."
While we certainly do admire the Japanese work ethics, or for that matter, German, Scandinavian and South Korean work ethics, we are also convinced that a significant number of Chinese so detest the Japanese for their war crimes during WWII and for what they did to their ancestors, families, friends and neighbours they would reject such horrendous Jap-Ketuanan (Jinshu-teki haken?) thinking which condoned(s) killing, torturing and murdering other races.
The Japanese also hated the Chinese in particular. I suspect the Japs couldn't stand the thought of being culturally beholden to what they saw as an 'inferior' race.
To Mahathir whose Malay family probably did not suffer during WWII as the Chinese had, that might be okay.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2018/06/11/there-is-not-enough-evidence-to-arrest-najib-says-mahathir/
ReplyDeleteMonsterball.. sooner or later you will be haunted by your fitnah, and the fruits of your fitnah will poison your life.
Monsterball is just a dedak-makan-er of the worst kind. He has to defend Mahathir and actions at any cost (well, dedak cost)
DeleteOh...I doubt the United States Department of Justice under both Democrat and Republican Administrations , Monetary Authority of Singapore and Swiss Financial Regulator were Fitnah or Makan dedak when They said 1MDB comprised the World's worst case of Kleptocracy.
DeleteUnknown of course cukup kenyang.
Ktemoc still in his 20-year old daydreams.
20 years only? Add another 20 years more
DeleteMalaysia needs Japan to counterbalance China's "expansion" in the East Asia Region. Japan sees China's territorial claims over South China Sea to be a threat as much of its trade passes through the sea. Japan itself has dispute with China over the Senkaku / Diaoyu islands further up north.
ReplyDeleteJapan, for all intends and purpose, is a waning force either in terms of military, economy, financial, industry, technology, human capital, or world influence. They have stagnated for so long whilst China has forged ahead. Whatever China can't innovate, they buy it out, giving them leaps in technology that's almost on par with Japan.
DeleteJapan as a whole, is now being propped up by their domestic consumption, automotive exports, & American influence.
China is the go to power yet we shied away from it, fearing what we don't understand. What a pity if Malaysia missed this golden once in a lifetime opportunity.
Again john....china has been raping uryghur folks till now. China doesnt really give a damn about muslims like u. Probably? Some of their military technology comes from isreal
DeleteNope. I don't give a goat about them Uighurs. If they refused to assimilate and stubbornly hold onto their culture, their language, their believes, then they should be forcibly assimilated. If they're allowed to be on their own, then look at what the uniqueness of minorities here did. So assimilation is the key to a successful nation.
DeleteNothing wrong with injecting more balance into Malaysian foreign policy.
ReplyDeleteEspecially after the revelations that Najib had signed off so many thoroughly lopsided Colonial-style contracts with China companies.
Home-based debt draw-downs unrelated to project progress , my goodness.
I'm still amazed at Ktemoc's complete lack of outrage at Najib's maladministration.
I didn't see cheebye kaytee complaining when Najib makes friends with everybody including Kazakhstan
Deletethat's the beauty of being a blogger - you can blog on who you like to blog on, and not blog on those you choose to omit - and what the fCk can you looes do,wakakaka
Deletehehehehe.....that's why I wanna hound you down. Make sure you kaputted......hahaha, kaytee is dead doggie meat
DeleteKT, I believe you meant "WW2 era" in above article. ;-)
ReplyDeletethanks Matey, missed out an 'I'
DeleteMatey means you have to drink Martell......You sure you can drink hor John......No virgins for you lei
DeleteLooes still trying to hardsell his 72 virgin choir boys while I prefer 72 prostitutes. Looes is such a lousy salesman if he still can't identify what his customer wants & needs.
DeleteNik aziz told me to tell john to stick to quran. Else john will surely go to hell
DeleteNo virgins for john.....saddd....
Yeah I almost forgot. Your Nick Aziz still owes me this weekend winning 4D number. Time and time again your Nick Aziz is proving to be a false prophet. Time is running out for Nick Aziz Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock
DeleteNajib pivot to China, TDM pivot to Japan, AI pivot to Middle East, USA, Indonesia.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, it's good to pivot to everybody being a small country but sitting along one of the most major sea routes and being a trading nation.
So, Malaysians must also ignore all those Ketuanan Bahasa idiots and start learning all the major world languages to prosper as a trading nation or else will end up hiring and murdering more Mongolian interpreters to conduct business.
Wakakakakaka
Becareful, else kaytee will surely make char siew out of nostro piggy
DeleteIn East Asia after China it is Japan next. So if we want to counterbalance there is no choice, after Japan would be S Korea, Taiwan but they are much further behind.
ReplyDelete