At the invitation of H.E. Mr. Yohei Kono, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan, YB Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Haji Mulia, Yang di-Pertua Dewan Rakyat undertook an official visit to Japan from 22 to 27 March 2009. YB Tan Sri Pandikar Amin was accompanied by his wife, six Members of Parliament and officials of Parlimen Malaysia.
Among the programmes prepared for YB Tan Sri Pandikar in Tokyo were courtesy calls on Prime Minister Taro Aso and Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone, meetings with H.E. Mr. Yohei Kono, Speaker of the House of Representatives (Lower House) and H.E. Mr. Satsuki Eda, President of the House of Councillors (Upper House). YB Tan Sri Pandikar also met with Mr. Hiroyuki Hosoda, Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Mr. Katsuya Okada, Vice President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ); and had a breakfast meeting with members of Japan-Malaysia Parliamentarians’ Friendship League. YB Tan Sri Pandikar Amin and his delegation was hosted to an official dinner by H.E. Mr. Yohei Kono, Speaker of the House of Representatives at the latter’s official residence. Dato’ Mohd Radzi Abdul Rahman, Ambassador of Malaysia to Japan accompanied YB Tan Sri Pandikar and other members of Malaysian delegation in the aforementioned meetings.
Dato’ Mohd Radzi Abdul Rahman and his wife, Datin Jazliza Jalaludin also hosted a dinner in honour of YB Tan Sri Pandikar and members of delegation at ‘Rasa’, a Malaysian restaurant in Tokyo.
Besides Tokyo, YB Tan Sri Pandikar Amin and delegation had the opportunity to visit Kyoto and Osaka.
The visit has further cemented Malaysia-Japan bilateral relations in particular exchanges between Parliamentarians of the two countries.