By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 31: Japan reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its investment in Sarawak, particularly in the energy sector, in line with Malaysia’s shared goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
In a TVS report, the Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Shikata Noriyuki, said the Sarawak government’s policies in introducing renewable energy have opened up new opportunities for Japanese investors to invest in the green energy sector in the State.
According to Shikata, Japanese companies have long invested in Sarawak, especially in the importation of oil and liquefied natural gas, such as in Bintulu.
“Currently, with the Sarawak government’s innovative policies, including the introduction of renewable energy such as hydrogen into the energy system, this has created new opportunities for investment by Japanese companies in Sarawak.
“This is a shared goal between Japan and Malaysia to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve carbon neutrality, investment in new technologies is essential. Therefore, this represents a new form of partnership between Japan and Malaysia in the context of strengthening the green transformation,” he said after paying a visit to Sarawak Media Group on Friday (Jan 30).
Based on his discussions with many Japanese companies, he said there is a strong interest among them in investing in Sarawak’s renewable energy sector.
In this regard, he said human capital development is key to long-term growth in the sector.
“I had the opportunity to make an official visit to Unimas and was briefed on the university’s efforts in investing in the development of a new generation of human resources. Japan has traditionally maintained very close cooperation with universities in Sarawak.
“Since the 1980s, the Malaysian government has promoted the Look East Policy by sending many young Malaysians to Japan to pursue studies at Japanese universities or undergo TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) programmes,” he explained.
He added that with this approach, more Japanese students could study at universities in Sarawak, and subsequently, more young Japanese professionals could come to work in the State. — DayakDaily
