Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri shakes hand with Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad when they meet at the 27th International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan.
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri shakes hand with Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad when they meet at the 27th International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan. Ismail Sabri Yaakob berjabat tangan dengan Tsuyoshi Nagano ketika pertemuan di Tokyo

By Khairulanuar Yahaya

KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri met former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad during a dinner at the Nikkei’s 27th International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan last night.

Ismail Sabri was seen greeting and shaking hands with Mahathir while being witnessed by the Minister of Human Resources, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan and the Minister of Federal Territories Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

“We were both invited to deliver keynote address at the 27th Nikkei Conference which began yesterday.

“Tun Dr Mahathir will be delivery his keynote address in that conference this morning. I have delivered my keynote address yesterday morning.

“Hosted by Nikkei Inc every year since 1995, the conference gathers government leaders and business figures to share their vision for the future of Asia,” said Ismail Sabri.

It was also Ismail Sabri’s maiden appearance in the annual conference by the Japanese business giant.

He arrived in Japan on 23 May and started his first official visit to Japan. He is also scheduled to meet his counterpart, Fumio Kishida who was newly appointed to the post in October last year during this visit.

Meanwhile, Mahathir has been attending the Nikkei Conference since it was first held in 1995. He arrived in Japan on 24 May.

Mahathir took the opportunity and held a dialogue with the Malaysian Community in Japan (KMJ) which consisted of the students and those working in that country.

The theme of the conference this year is Redefining Asia’s Role in a Divided World.

In 2021, Japan is the fourth largest trade partner in Malaysia with approximately RM149 billion in trade value.

As of 2021, Japan is the third largest foreign investor in Malaysia in the manufacturing sector worth RM90.9 billion. -MalaysiaGazette