KUCHING: Sarawak, with its rich and diverse natural resources and endowments, is on a mission to showcase its business and industrial potentials as well as tourism attractions to the Japanese business community.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem said he was happy to see that the Look East Policy (LEP 2), as the new driver for the relations between Malaysia and Japan, had outlined priority areas.
He said Sarawak, which had been in the forefront of Japanese investments in the oil and gas industry, would be watching with great interest to be involved in the development.
"The globalisation trend and regional integration initiatives for greater trade and investment give a renewed platform for collaboration in much broader areas.
"The framework for new overtures is in the cutting-edge technologies. These new industries will increase the flow of research and innovation from Japan to Malaysia and Sarawak looks forward to new ventures in these new areas," he said at a state dinner for the 33rd Malaysia-Japan Economic Association (MAJECA) - Japan-Malaysia Economic Association (JAMECA) conference here last night.
His text of speech was read out by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang.
Also present were Japan Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Makio Miyagawa, MAJECA president Tan Sri Azman Hashim and JAMECA president Mikio Sasaki.
Adenan said in line with these development, new skills were required for such industrial undertakings and Sarawak had the necessary educational and institutional infrastructure to provide a platform for skills development.
"I would welcome institutional support from the Japanese private sector to strengthen this aspect and create a pool of talents to meet the requirement," he said.-- Bernama