Malaysia-Japan Relations under the Mahathir Administration: Case Studies of the “Look East” Policy and Japanese Investment in Malaysia

Abstract

This article analyzes Malaysia-Japan relations under the Mahathir administration, focusing on two case studies, the “Look East” policy and Japanese direct investment in Malaysia. As the case studies suggest, Mahathir's policies were first and foremost dictated by his nationalism and anti-Western stance, which tended at times to alienate the Japanese government.