Minister: Impacts of Japan's Quake, Tsunami on Malaysia Temporary

The short- and middle-term impacts on Japanese investments in Malaysia will not last long, as the Malaysian government is confident that the restoration effort in Japan will be carried out successfully, said Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed here Wednesday.

The minister made the remarks after signing the condolence book at the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia.

Mustapa told reporters that the Malaysian government would assess the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, an important trade partner of Malaysia.

He believed that Malaysia's automotive industry would be affected by the disaster because Malaysia imports automotive parts from Japan.

In 2010, Malaysia's bilateral trade with Japan amounted to 130 billion ringgit (US$42.9 billion). Japan has also been among the top three investors for Malaysia since 2006.

From 2004 to 2008, the bilateral trade grew at an average rate of 7.4 percent.

In 2009, Japan remained Malaysia's fourth largest global trading partner, fourth largest export destination and second largest import source.