Malaysia, as a little nation in Southeast Asia, has consistently kept a logical international strategy that provides food for complex homegrown just as outer interests. Up to this point, it has tried not to be caught in China-Japan rivalry for impact in the Southeast Asian locale. In any case, Malaysia's international strategy keeps on showing movements and progression in policy making. While Kuala Lumpur has deliberately taken the situation of offsetting its relations with both Beijing and Tokyo, certain organisations have focused on a specific state at some time. Against this scenery, Malaysia's relations with Japan has reliably proceeded with continuous for sixty years though for certain vacillations en route. Regardless of having been colonised by Japan somewhere in the range of 1941 and 1945, Kuala Lumpur set up relations with Tokyo in 1957, just subsequent to acquiring its autonomy from the British in the exact year. 

For the initial thirty years, two-sided relations were predictable, generally focusing on monetary collaborations. It tends to be expected that the two states, one recently autonomous and the other seriously harmed by World War Two zeroed in additional on monetary structure and recuperation separately. For Malaysia, endeavours to build up the economy during the 1970s saw Japanese organisations cooperating with government connected offices like the National Corporation Limited (Pernas), Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA). The arrangement of the Malaysia-Japan Economic Association (MAJECA) in Malaysia and Japan-Malaysia Economic Association (JAMECA) in Japan in 1977 further upgraded respective relations. Notwithstanding these turns of events, Japan was as yet viewed as at the fringe in Malaysian international strategy. 

Malaysia's insight changed drastically when Japan grew quickly, especially during the 1980s making it the second biggest economy on the planet. Malaysian policymakers were taken up by the capacity of Japanese organizations to enter world business sectors. Leader Mahathir Mohamad (1981-2003) ascribed the accomplishment to Japanese morals, work culture and worth framework. Mahathir started to get ready to Japan not exclusively to procure innovative ability or attract ventures however to instil a feeling of Asian personality that was relatable to the Malaysian attitude. As anyone might expect, in 1982, Mahathir declared the Look East Policy (LEP) during the fifth yearly joint gathering of MAJECA-JAMECA meeting. This arrangement which was a significant defining moment assumed a significant job in forming Malaysia-Japan relations in the resulting years. Gatherings of select Malaysian understudies were put in colleges in Japan with the assumption that those alumni would submerge themselves in Japanese worth framework and the board style in order to have the option to contribute adequately to the efficiency and development of their nation of origin. 

Simultaneously, Mahathir was particularly inspired by the Japanese style of collaboration between open private associations in focusing on abroad speculations. In this manner, Malaysia set up the idea of Malaysia Incorporated, like that of Japan Incorporated which featured a framework where the public authority and organisations were agreeable and not angry in nature. After the foundation of the LEP, speculators' trust in Malaysia expanded and this thus observed a quick development of Japanese ventures from organisations like Toray, Hitachi, Sony and Panasonic in the assembling area. Since LEP got one of the principle strategy drivers in drawing in Japanese ventures, this at last made Japan a prevailing part in the Malaysian industrialisation measure. 

Despite the fact that Malaysia-Japan relations has demonstrated proceeded with strength, in any case the continuous ascent of China affected Malaysian international strategy direction, particularly under the organisation of Prime Minister Najib Razak (2009 - 2018). While Malaysian pioneers during the 1970s and 80s saw China as a danger, Mahathir Mohamad took an alternate view during the 1980s by perceiving the Chinese market as an important access for nearby products. The continuous ascent of China saw resulting Malaysian pioneers taking a similar position. After thirty years, with China's Belt and Road Initiative picking up a traction in Malaysia, Chinese interests in significant framework undertakings, for example, remote ocean ports and railroad lines turned out to be very pervasive under the organisation of Najib Razak. This prompted a view of Najib being supportive of China, all the more so after he consented to get Chinese-made military hardware in the midst of rising pressures in the South China Sea. Such a discernment additionally added to the idea that Malaysia-Japan relations have gotten optional to that of Beijing-Kuala Lumpur ties. 

Nonetheless, the startling system change after the 2018 general decisions in Malaysia, combined with nonagenarian Mahathir Mohamad turning into the executive (2018-2020) for a subsequent time saw the prompt recovery of Malaysia-Japan relations. The Pakatan Harapan government appropriated by Mahathir raised reciprocal relations as the leader's conviction framework was characterised by an affection for Japanese qualities and the board style. True to form, Japan was the main nation Mahathir visited subsequent to being confirmed as the executive. To animate the economy with Japanese capital and innovation, the LEP was resuscitated and renamed LEP 2.0. As anyone might expect, the strategy turned into a sign of Mahathir's subsequent term. 

Policymakers recognised that Malaysia expected to get familiar with the degree to which Japan had supported coordinated effort between government, examination and the scholarly world in its assembling industry to make reasonable long haul arrangements and developments. On the off chance that Najib Razak desired Chinese speculations, Mahathir went to Japanese organisations associated with cutting edge and very good quality help industries.With the Malaysian government's help, following quite a while of centring interests in the electrical and hardware areas, Japanese organisations progressively started putting resources into clinical gadget producing, advanced innovation and halal food enterprises. This enhancement was in accordance with the Mahathir's public industry strategy which considered the continuous Industrial Revolution (IR) 4.0. Typically, Japan got one of the top wellsprings of unfamiliar direct interests into Malaysia during the Pakatan Harapan government. 

In general, the coming and going of Malaysia-Japan relations has a lot to do with the initiative of the nation. In mid 2020, Malaysia encountered another emotional difference in government under two years after the nation's milestone May 2018 political race that expelled the 60 year old Barisan Nasional government. Despite the fact that Japan is as yet seen as an essential exchanging and speculation accomplice, it is clear that homegrown concerns have become the prompt need to the new government under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. 

The appearance of COVID 19 pandemic when Muhyiddin is at his generally defenceless because of political infighting implies that homegrown issues will abrogate international strategy contemplation. Against this scenery, all things considered, more up to date Japanese speculators will receive a 'keep a watch out demeanour' prior to contributing. Such a situation is adverse to Malaysia which needs more Japanese ventures to help with rebuilding neighbourhood organisations to apply advanced and inventive innovations that will empower them to relocate to IR 4.0. methodically. 

As in the past, Muhyiddin, should perceived the LEP as an apparatus that can serve to support speculator certainty that will convert into bigger Japanese interests into the nation. Since Malaysia's obligation is anticipated to rise while the public authority battles with the Covid-19 pandemic, the public authority could demand for Japanese capital as yen-designated bonds without any surprises (usually known as Samurai Bonds) for much required advancement use. In the occasion Muhyiddin revives LEP 2.0 and decides to obtain Samurai Bonds which is an administration to-government (G2G) course of action, Kuala Lumpur-Tokyo relations will apparently proceed to fortify and Japan will remain an esteemed accomplice in the progressing endeavour to change Malaysia into a "completely evolved nation" through the IR 4.0. benchmark.