In Kuala Lumpur, a significant meeting took place between Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, marking a historic moment in the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation celebration. Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil highlighted the importance of this meeting, noting that it coincided with a half-century of bilateral ties between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the visit of Prime Minister Kishida, his first to Malaysia since assuming office in 2021, was a notable event. The meeting took place at Seri Perdana, where Fahmi was among the officials present to welcome the Japanese leader.

A significant outcome of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in the field of information and communications. This agreement was signed between the Malaysian Communications and Digital Ministry (KKD) and Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as announced by Fahmi in a Facebook post.

Fahmi also mentioned that as of June this year, Japanese companies had implemented over 2,700 projects in Malaysia, amounting to a total investment of RM91.89 billion. He expressed optimism about the continuation of strong cooperation with Japan, Malaysia’s fourth-largest trading partner.

During his two-day visit, Prime Minister Kishida received a courtesy call from Anwar, where they discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations. The meeting also saw the exchange of the MOC, with KKD’s secretary-general Datuk Mohd Fauzi Md Isa and Japan’s Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, Hiroshi Yoshida, representing their respective ministries.