Message from the Chief Representative

As of 2024, approximately 19,700 Malaysian participants, including JICA scholars, have undertaken training and study programs in Japan through JICA. In addition, about 11,600 experts and survey team members and around 1,600 volunteers have been dispatched to Malaysia to date. The cumulative amount of Japanese ODA loans to Malaysia has reached JPY 923.8 billion.

Since gaining independence in 1957, Malaysia has achieved steady economic growth while successfully overcoming various challenges, including the Asian financial crisis and the COVID‑19 pandemic. In recent years, the country has maintained a strong economic growth rate of around 5 %. In 2025, the Government of Malaysia announced the “13th Malaysia Plan 2026–2030”, which sets the goal of achieving and sustaining high‑income nation status by 2030. To this end, the Plan identifies four key pillars: advancing economic complexity, including propelling of high‑growth, high‑value industries; enhancing social mobility through education, human capital development, and improved job quality; accelerating public service reforms; and enhancing people’s well‑being while and environmental sustainability.

Based on Malaysia’s national development plan and policies and Japan’s development cooperation policies, JICA is promoting cooperation in three priority areas: (1)supporting balanced development toward Malaysia’s transition to a high‑income nation; (2) addressing common challenges shared across the Asian region; and (3) strengthening the Japan–Malaysia development partnership beyond Asia.

Through decades of bilateral cooperation, a strong network of people has been built. For example, under the Look East Policy, approximately 26,000 Malaysians have studied or received training in Japan. In recent years, academic exchange between universities in Malaysia and Japan has become increasingly active, and the number of Japanese students studying in Malaysia, both short‑term and long‑term, has also grown. Japanese business activities in Malaysia have likewise diversified, expanding from manufacturing into the service sector. These broad and multilayered ties represent an invaluable asset for both countries.

Building on this strong foundation of human relationship and trust, JICA will continue to work closely with a wide range of partners, including private companies, universities, research institutions, and NGOs, to promote “co‑creation” and “innovation” between Japan and Malaysia, as well as the “circulation” of people and knowledge between our societies. We will also further expand South‑South cooperation by sharing the experiences and expertise of both countries with partners in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Guided by JICA’s vision of “Leading the world with trust,” we will continue to contribute to Malaysia’s development while serving as a bridge between our two countries, and more broadly between ASEAN and Japan. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your continued understanding and cooperation, and I very much look forward to working together with you in the years ahead.