Foreign Ministry: Dr M reiterates call for Japan to open university in Malaysia

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed at the briefing on governance, integrity and anti-corruption at MACC headquaters in Putrajaya. - MOHD SAHAR MISNI/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reiterated his offer for Japan to open a university in Malaysia so that students have access to the Japanese education system.

The Prime Minister made the offer to Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Taro Kono who made a courtesy call on Dr Mahathir, at the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday (July 11).

“At the same time, the students could also learn the Japanese language and more importantly, the Japanese values and cultures, which have proven to be the foundation of Japan’s remarkable success,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday (July 12).

It added that the university would be more accessible and would be able to attract international students not only from the nearby regions but as far as Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Kono responded that he would work internally with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Technologies on this offer.

Dr Mahathir also welcomed Japan’s readiness to send its experts to Malaysia to look at methods to optimise the utilization of the railway lines especially the double-track system.

Besides that, both Dr Mahathir and Kono also discussed regional developments pertaining to the situation in the Korean Peninsula and developments in the South China Sea among other issues.