Mahathir to discuss yen with Murayama

Mahathir to discuss yen with Murayama

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he
would raise Malaysia's trade and investment problems with Japan
during talks with his Japanese counterpart Tomiichi Murayama,
scheduled to arrive here next week.

"There are quite a lot of issues (to be raised)," Mahathir
said Tuesday, adding that the soaring yen was hampering efforts
to tackle Malaysia's trade imbalance with Japan.

Mahathir said the appreciation of the yen had increased the
price of goods and components imported from Japan and hiked the
value of yen-denominated loans, currently valued at more than
seven billion ringgit (US$2.8 billion).

Last year Malaysia incurred its biggest-ever trade deficit
with Japan, 16.5 billion ringgit ($6.6 billion). This figure is
projected by Malaysian trade officials to increase to 20 billion
ringgit ($8 billion) this year.

Murayama is scheduled to stay in Kuala Lumpur from Aug. 26 to
28 as part of a regional tour, which will also take him to the
Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore, officials said.

It will be his first visit to the region since taking over in
June as Japan's first socialist prime minister in 47 years. His
predecessor Kiichi Miyazawa visited Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia
and Thailand in January last year.