In July 1981, Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad became the Prime Minister of Malaysia. After six months in his office, he announced an initiative to learn from the experiences of Japan (and Korea) in the nation-building of Malaysia. He considered that the secret of Japanese success and its remarkable development lies in its labour ethics, morale, and management capability. He felt a programme enabling that young Malaysians to learn in Japan would contribute to the economic and social development of Malaysia. For this purpose, Malaysia decided to dispatch their students to Japan, to study not only academics and technical know-how but also to learn labour ethics and discipline of the Japanese people.

This initiative is called "Look East Policy." The programme consists of two parts. The first is to send Malaysian students to Japanese universities and institutes of technology. The second is to send trainees to Japanese industries and training institutes. These programmes are funded by the Government of Malaysia, and the Government of Japan supports these programmes by sending Japanese teachers to Malaysia and also by sharing a part of its costs.

Alumni Look East Policy Society

Number of Malaysian Students in Japan sent by the Malaysian Government
under the Look East Policy