Japan Remains Malaysia's Biggest Foreign Investor In Manufacturing Sector

From Effendy Harun TOKYO, April 7 (Bernama) -- Japan remains Malaysia's biggest foreign investor in the manufacturing sector, apart from being the country's fourth largest trade partner up to last year. "We were in turn Japan's eighth largest trade partner with a total value of US$33.59 billion," said Malaysia's Ambassador to Japan, Ahmad Izlan Idris. He also said that in the first nine months of 2015, there were 52 projects involving investments of US$607.9 million approved for Japanese companies. "At present, there are 1,345 Japanese companies involved in the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors in Malaysia. "Among the key Japanese investments are the manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, electrical and electronics,chemicals, transport equipment and machines. Ahmad Izlan told Bernama this when met after receiving the Crown Prince of Malaysia's northernmost state Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail, who headed a delegation from the Yayasan Tuanku Fauziah (YTF or Tuanku Fauziah Foundation) to Tokyo, recently. Tuanku Syed Faizuddin was accompanied by his wife, Tuanku Hajah Lailatul Shahreen Akashah as YTF chairperson. They had been invited by Josai International University (JIU) to Tokyo in conjunction with the acceptance of five students sponsored by the foundation to undertake a one-year Women's Leadership Programme there. The programme involves cooperation between YTF-JIU and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP, a Malaysian public institution of higher learning). Tuanku Syed Faizuddin is UniMAP Chancellor. Ahmad Izlan said Nippon Electric Glass, Fuji Electric, SDP Global, Tosoh Corporation and Kaneka Corporation are the top five Japanese investors in Malaysia at present. "Malaysian companies have vast opportunities to invest in the halal industry, halal certification and Islamic finance, as well as agriculture products in Japan," he added. On tourism, he said 439,775 Japanese visited Malaysia last year, while Malaysian visitors to Japan from January to November 2015 stood at 255,214. --BERNAMA