KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is looking forward to forging stronger cooperation in the development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and the halal industry with Japan, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
The Deputy Prime Minister said this is the main focus among a slew of agendas lined-up during his maiden working visit to Japan.
Zahid, who is also the Regional and Development Minister, is undertaking a week-long working visit Japan until Feb 23.
"Alhamdulillah, I have arrived in Japan last night for my seven-day working visit which included Tokyo and Osaka.
"A series of courtesy calls and meetings will take place during my visit here.
"The main focus is to discuss efforts to further strengthen Malaysia-Japan cooperation in the efforts to empower TVET and the halal industry," he said in a social media posting on his Facebook account today.
In a separate posting, Zahid said he has attended a meeting with representatives of the Malaysian Embassy (Malawakil) in Tokyo.
Also attending the meeting were representatives from the ministries and agencies involved in the arrangement of his working visit to Japan.
"We want to ensure that all programmes planned during this working visit will have a significant impact (towards the development of the country)," he said.
The Foreign Minister, in a statement yesterday, said Zahid is being accompanied by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, senior officials of the relevant ministries and agencies as well as representatives from the institutes of higher education during his visit to Japan.
Among the key highlights during the visit included an event in which Zahid will be conferred an honorary degree from Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT), Tokyo in recognition of his contribution not only towards the strengthening of Malaysia-Japan technical education cooperation and effort in uplifting TVET.
Other programmes during his visit to Japan including a meeting with Japan Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Masahito Moriyama and courtesy call from Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement (OISCA) International president Etsuko Nakano.
Zahid is also scheduled to visit the National Institute of Technology, Tokyo College (Tokyo KOSEN) to gain valuable insights into Japan's exemplary TVET system.
Japan, the statement said, has been Malaysia's fourth-largest trading partner globally since 2015.
The trade value between Malaysia and Japan last year reached RM156.64 billion (US $34.39 billion), which contributed 5.9 per cent of Malaysia's total trade.