TOKYO, May 24 — Mega projects like the MRT have created thousands of employment opportunities for young engineers in Malaysia, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He said the MRT would not only transform public transportation in the Klang Valley, but it had also created 2,800 job opportunities for young engineers.

In fact, the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail project would also be creating thousands of job opportunities for qualified young engineers, he said.

“This is among the government’s responsibilities... creating job opportunities, training manpower and bringing back Malaysian talents working abroad,” he said at a dinner with Malaysians here in conjunction with his three-day official visit to Japan beginning today.

Najib hoped that the Malaysian diaspora in Japan would respond to the government’s challenge to develop their talent here and return to their homeland to grab the employment opportunities created by the government.

“I want you to prove yourself, that once in Japan you are equal to the Japanese. Learn new technologies,” he said.

Also present at the dinner were his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Malaysian ambassador to Japan Datuk Ahmad Izlan Idris, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala and about 260 other Malaysians.

The prime minister said Malaysia could also export its expertise and knowledge.

“Datuk (Seri) Idris has just returned from the Kremlin... the Russian government wants to learn from us while Pemandu (Performance Management and Delivery Unit) has been appointed as consultant by Tanzania,” he added.

On his visit here, Najib said Japan was a strategic partner which had for long been helping Malaysia in trade and investment, and contributing to its human capital development.

He said investments from Japan from 2009 until 2014 worth US$9.43 billion (RM33.97 billion) had created over 37,000 job opportunities in Malaysia.

Najib said he and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe had before this, agreed to continue with the Look East Policy 2.0.

“It will be modified, whereby Japan will assist in Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) to make it a success by emphasising on new technology, innovation and raising management capacity in both the public and private sectors.”

In fact, he said, Japan would be the source of the latest technology such as in the field of vehicle fuel efficiency where the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ was among the main suppliers of battery technology.

Najib said Japan was keen to help develop infrastructure and among the projects it was interested in was the high-speed train project.

“With regard to the Shinkansen (bullet train), we all know there are respective views on its technology and capability. On Tuesday, I will experience travelling on the Shinkansen,” he said.

The prime minister said a Japanese airline was expected to commence daily service between Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur this September.

At the dinner, Najib also touched on Malaysia’s achievements in various fields and the measures being taken by the government to raise the living standard of the people and to reduce the income gap. — Bernama