Japan to Work With ASEAN on Myanmar Humanitarian Response

By Nurfardlina Izzati Moktar and Nor Farah Aqilah Mohd Sham

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- Japan has thrown its weight behind Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, hoping Kuala Lumpur will leverage the role to spearhead regional efforts to address the worsening crisis in Myanmar, including the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country, which has been further devastated by a powerful earthquake in March.

Japan’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Noriyuki Shikata, said Japan stands ready to work with ASEAN to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Myanmar and is also keen to support and engage in the country’s reconstruction.

"The situation in Myanmar has worsened because of the quake. We have been dispatching our humanitarian assistance and wish to engage in the reconstruction of the country.

“But at this point in time, it is very difficult to effectively conduct and carry out humanitarian assistance,” he said during an interview on Bernama TV's The Nation: Diplomatic Dispatch, on Wednesday.

"I have very strong expectations for Malaysia as chair of ASEAN to address these urgent issues, and Japan looks forward to supporting Malaysia's role as a chair of the ASEAN process," he added.

 According to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), the 7.7-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay on March 28 has killed more than 3,700 people.

The quake caused widespread destruction to critical infrastructure and affected nearly 508,000 people, with more than 28,500 currently housed in 106 evacuation centres.

The total estimated cost stands at US$1.7 billion with authorities continuing to verify this figure, the centre said.

Shikata also reiterated Japan’s support for Malaysia’s role as ASEAN Chair this year and looked forward to deepening engagement with the regional grouping under Malaysia’s leadership.

He reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to ASEAN, pledging closer partnership on issues of mutual concern such as climate change, energy security and peace and security across the Indo Pacific region, while also expressing support for ASEAN’s development agenda including infrastructure and connectivity.

“Japan has traditionally been very close with ASEAN, and we wish to further deepen our ties between Japan and ASEAN under the quite challenging international landscape,” he said.

Malaysia currently holds the ASEAN chairmanship for 2025. Malaysia has previously chaired ASEAN in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.

ASEAN comprises 10 member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Japan was formally recognised as an ASEAN dialogue partner in 1977. The two sides elevated their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023.

As an ASEAN external partner, Japan has been actively engaging with the bloc through ASEAN-led mechanisms, including ASEAN Plus Three, ASEAN Plus Six, the East Asia Summit, and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Shikata said Japan and Malaysia will co-host the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) ministerial meetings in September this year, an important event to advance clean energy cooperation in the region.

Bilaterally, Shikata highlighted the strong and enduring relationship between Japan and Malaysia, particularly in the field of education, which he described as a cornerstone of mutual trust and friendship.

He cited the establishment of the University of Tsukuba’s branch campus in Kuala Lumpur in 2024 - the first Japanese university campus abroad - and the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), launched in 2012, as testaments to deepening academic cooperation.

The ambassador expressed hope for more educational exchange programmes between the two countries, noting that Malaysia’s multicultural environment offers Japanese students a unique learning experience.

“It’s an ideal setting for mutual learning.

“Beyond the Look East Policy, I believe in promoting a ‘Look at Each Other’

policy to deepen mutual understanding,” he said.

In another development, Shikata highlighted Japan’s continued commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause including through the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD), an initiative enabling the country to share East and Southeast Asia’s development experience in support of sustainable and long-term growth in Palestine, including Gaza.

He added that Japan hopes to work closely with Malaysia and other ASEAN partners to promote investments that can create jobs and rebuild livelihoods in the region.

“We believe quality job creation, coupled with access to education, is essential for building a lasting foundation for peace and prosperity. This is a medium- to long-term effort, and we are committed to working closely with the Malaysian government,” he said.

-- BERNAMA