FUKUOKA: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is scheduled to arrive here 7am today (Wednesday) following a clear weather forecast on the heels of an earlier typhoon yesterday that had trimmed his three-day visit here by a day.
Dr Mahathir is scheduled to deliver two key annual lectures on leadership at Japan Future Leaders School (JFLS) and Kyushu-Asia Institute of Leadership (KAIL) as well as being conferred honorary doctorate by the International University of Japan.
Malaysian ambassador to Japan, Datuk Kennedy Jawan said Dr Mahathir was a prominent and regular speaker at the two events. Kennedy said the prime minister would be speaking for the 16th time at JFLS and 15th for KAIL.
JFLS is an intensive summer school programme tailored to high school students. Four Malaysians are among the 2,617 students from six other countries including Mongolia and Vietnam who participate in international programmes over the course of two weeks.
"At JFLS, Dr Mahathir has been invited to deliver a keynote address titled 'How progress of science and technology will contribute to world peace and harmony'. He is a regular speaker there," Kennedy told reporters yesterday.
At KAIL, Dr Mahathir is expected to speak to a crowd of 100 business executives based in Kyushu, including professionals from Kyushu Electric Power Company and Kyushu Railway Company.
"The lecture would allow the audience to learn more from Dr Mahathir's vast experience in leadership. They have always been interested to know more about his methods.
"He is also expected to touch on possible investment opportunities in Malaysia."
At the same time, Dr Mahathir is expected to receive a courtesy call from his Japanese counterpart Shinzō Abe's special adviser, Hiroto Izumi.
"The courtesy call is a request from the Japanese government. Izumi is a special adviser who (specifically) deals with Japan-Malaysia matters.
"It is expected that they will touch on the latest progress of our bilateral relations," Kennedy said.
Dr Mahathir will be accompanied by wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
Kennedy earlier said flights from Tokyo to Fukuoka had been cancelled due to bad weather.
"The ministers (Saifuddin and Syed Saddiq) who are already here, are taking the shinkansen (bullet train) instead of flying (from Tokyo)."