LEP 2.0 can help raise Malaysia's R&D standard: Zahid

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has termed his five-day working visit to Tokyo from Sunday, as a follow-up to the second wave of the Look East Policy (LEP 2.0), which can help catapult the quality of Malaysia's research and development in the future.

As such, he said, the LEP 2.0 was important to Malaysia as the policy introduced in 1982 has prepared the country towards achieving the status of a developed nation in 2020.

"The percentage of spending on R&D by Malaysia is rather low, at a level of two percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), while for Japan and other developed nations, the figure is about 10 percent.

"This is due to financial constraints. But, I am confident that if we aspire to have a high standard of technology, as well as in areas that require high research investment, it will yield gains over the long term.

"If the allocation (as available at present) is insufficient, I am confident that academicians and institutions of higher learning are able to contribute (to the country's R&D)," he told Malaysian journalists here Sunday.

Ahmad Zahid arrived at noon to begin his inaugural visit to the "Land of the Rising Sun" as Deputy Prime Minister.

He is slated to meet his Japanese counterpart, Taro Aso, on the third day of his visit to mirror Malaysia's continued commitment to Japan.

Elaborating further, Ahmad Zahid served a reminder that Malaysia needs to be ready in all aspects, as apart from being termed a high income nation, the people too need to have an attitude and mindset that is progressive.

Malaysia introduced the Look East Policy in an effort to emulate the work ethics and business techniques of nations like Japan and South Korea.