REPORTING FROM TOKYO

If not for the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore on Tuesday, June 12, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his first major overseas speech would have attracted international headlines this week.

Why? The 92-year-old is in Tokyo for the Nikkei conference — also known as the International Conference on the Future of Asia — and is there as one of its headline speakers.

On his maiden international trip as "born-again" Prime Minister, Mahathir was the centre of attention with his keynote speech and dialogue session, titled “Keeping Asia Open – How to Achieve Prosperity and Stability”.

And from where we're standing, it's clear he's wasting no time in bringing out the big guns... in his charm offensive.

Malaysia can be as successful as Japan if they have the Japanese work ethic

Mahathir told the audience, which includes key political and business leaders, that Malaysia will be successful like Japan, provided that Malaysians possess the same Japanese work ethics.

"It's about acquiring also the Japanese work ethics, the Japanese sense of shame whenever they fail to deliver what they have promised to deliver.”

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He is calling for some form of protectionism though, for smaller developing nations like Malaysia.

"We have to recognise: Just as there are infant industries, there are infant nations, nations which are just beginning to grow.

They need to have some privileges, some protection for themselves, because they are not in position to compete with the great trading nations, the great manufacturing nations of the world."

Another analogy he used was that of “handicaps” in golf, where more experienced players get their scores averaged out so players of different proficiency can play together on more equal terms.

Wants more from TPP

Mahathir is not as enthusiastic about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) though.

“We need to renegotiate the terms of the TPP so that smaller countries are given due consideration to compete against more powerful and developed nations.”

While he is not against the TPP, he favours the formation of the East Asia Economic Caucus (EAEC), an idea he proposed nearly two decades ago.

In 1997, Mahathir proposed the EAEC as a regional free trade zone that comprises of ASEAN members as well as China, Japan and South Korea.

Currently, he says the EAEC should now no longer include just ASEAN members and East Asian countries but also those in Central Asia and India.

3-day work visit, also meeting with Abe

The Malaysian PM is in Japan as part of a three-day working visit that includes a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

He is also expected to give a speech at the House of Councillors and meet several business entities such as the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Japan External Trade Organisation and Japan-Malaysia Economic Association.

Top photo by KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images