PUTRAJAYA, Mar 13 — Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said the government wants to send more students to South Korea so they can study new technologies which can help Malaysia’s progress.
He told a joint press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Prime Minister’s Office in Perdana Putra today, that there is much room for co-operation in many fields in line with his Look East Policy which was first implemented in 1982.
“We wish to keep on sending students to Korea, especially to study engineering and also IT and new technology, so that Malaysia can follow the development of Korea,” Dr Mahathir said.
He also said he is impressed with South Korea’s technological advancement, especially in the field of automotive manufacturing, adding that although Malaysia has its own national car manufacturer it is not as impressive.
Dr Mahathir said the bilateral co-operation between Malaysia and South Korea will be further strengthened, with the signing of four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) earlier in the day.
The memorandums involve co-operation in the field of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, transportation, the development of a Smart City in Malaysia, and the halal industry.
“This marks the strong relations between our two countries, which marks the 60th anniversary of establishing ties next year.
“We would also like to see relations between South and North Korea improve, as we would like to see peace and stability for this part of the world,” he said.
Moon also reciprocated Dr Mahathir’s aspiration that trade and bilateral relations between the two countries can be improved even further.
“We agreed to establish an institutional framework to further expand our trade and investment by working towards several bilateral free trade agreements.
“By swiftly proceeding with relevant procedures, starting from joint feasibility studies, we hope to declare the conclusion of the negotiations at the Asean commemorative summit by the end of this year,” he said.
Moon also said the South Korean government will propose a new vision for Korea and Malaysia relations for the next 100 years, and establish a strategic road map for regional peace and prosperity during the Asean summit.
