Consul-General Attends the Closing Ceremony of the JICA Third Country Training Programme on “Cybersecurity in the Digital Economy”
2026/10/5
On October 5th, Mr. Shinya Machida, Consul-General of Japan in Penang, attended the closing ceremony of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Third Country Training Programme on “Cybersecurity in the Digital Economy” at the Japan-Malaysia Technical Institute (JMTi) in Seberang Perai, Penang. The programme brought together 15 participants from seven countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vietnam — who took part in lectures, practical sessions and study visits on cybersecurity, digital resilience and the protection of digital assets. The closing ceremony was attended by Dato’ Haji Mohamad Zahari bin Haji Samingon, Director General of the Manpower Department, Ministry of Human Resources; Ms. Miku Okada, Senior Representative, JICA Malaysia Office; representatives of JMTi; and other stakeholders. Certificates were presented to the participants at the ceremony.
JMTi was conceived in 1994 with the aim of developing highly skilled technical human resources in Malaysia and was formally established in 1998 through technical cooperation between Malaysia and Japan. Today, in addition to developing skilled personnel in Malaysia, JMTi also serves as a platform for sharing Malaysia’s accumulated knowledge and experience with participants from other developing countries.
In her remarks, Ms. Okada noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Malaysia and highlighted how longstanding Japan-Malaysia cooperation has expanded from industrial development and human resource development to newer areas such as digitalisation and cybersecurity. She also stressed the importance of sharing the experiences of both countries with other countries and building professional networks through Third Country Training Programmes.
Dato’ Haji Mohamad Zahari stressed that cybersecurity is no longer merely a technical issue, but an essential foundation for protecting digital assets, ensuring business continuity and maintaining trust in digital society. He encouraged the participants to apply the knowledge and experience gained through the programme in their respective workplaces. Speaking on behalf of the participants, the participants’ representative noted that cybersecurity is a shared challenge that transcends national borders and expressed the hope that the networks established during the programme would continue to support knowledge-sharing and cooperation.
Malaysia has implemented the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) since 1980, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia and JICA have jointly conducted Third Country Training Programmes since 1992. These programmes reflect the partnership between Japan and Malaysia in sharing their accumulated knowledge and experience with other developing countries and contributing together to human resource development and broader economic and social development in the region. Looking ahead to the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Malaysia and the 50th anniversary of the decision to establish the Consulate-General of Japan in Penang in 2027, the Consulate-General will continue to work with JICA, JMTi and other partners to further strengthen cooperation between Japan and Malaysia and with countries across the region.
JMTi was conceived in 1994 with the aim of developing highly skilled technical human resources in Malaysia and was formally established in 1998 through technical cooperation between Malaysia and Japan. Today, in addition to developing skilled personnel in Malaysia, JMTi also serves as a platform for sharing Malaysia’s accumulated knowledge and experience with participants from other developing countries.
In her remarks, Ms. Okada noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Malaysia and highlighted how longstanding Japan-Malaysia cooperation has expanded from industrial development and human resource development to newer areas such as digitalisation and cybersecurity. She also stressed the importance of sharing the experiences of both countries with other countries and building professional networks through Third Country Training Programmes.
Dato’ Haji Mohamad Zahari stressed that cybersecurity is no longer merely a technical issue, but an essential foundation for protecting digital assets, ensuring business continuity and maintaining trust in digital society. He encouraged the participants to apply the knowledge and experience gained through the programme in their respective workplaces. Speaking on behalf of the participants, the participants’ representative noted that cybersecurity is a shared challenge that transcends national borders and expressed the hope that the networks established during the programme would continue to support knowledge-sharing and cooperation.
Malaysia has implemented the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) since 1980, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia and JICA have jointly conducted Third Country Training Programmes since 1992. These programmes reflect the partnership between Japan and Malaysia in sharing their accumulated knowledge and experience with other developing countries and contributing together to human resource development and broader economic and social development in the region. Looking ahead to the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Malaysia and the 50th anniversary of the decision to establish the Consulate-General of Japan in Penang in 2027, the Consulate-General will continue to work with JICA, JMTi and other partners to further strengthen cooperation between Japan and Malaysia and with countries across the region.
