TOKYO: Petronas has signed a long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) sales and purchase agreement with Japan’s Jera for the supply of two million tonnes of LNG annually over 20 years from 2028, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced today.
During a joint press conference with Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi, Anwar said the agreement was a “remarkable feat” in Malaysia-Japan relations and reflected the trust and long-standing cooperation between both countries.
Jera is Japan’s largest power generation company and one of the world’s biggest LNG buyers. It plays a central role in Japan’s energy security by securing and managing long-term LNG supplies to fuel the country’s power plants.
Anwar said the deal was among several areas of cooperation discussed with Japan, including defence, maritime safety and security, energy transition, financial cooperation, human capital development, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, critical minerals, and resilient supply chains.
Anwar said Japan had played a critical role in Malaysia’s industrialisation since the 1970s, and that both countries were looking to expand cooperation into new growth areas such as AI, semiconductor technology, and digital industries.
He also said Malaysia and Japan were expanding financial cooperation through a bilateral swap arrangement and greater use of local currency transactions involving the ringgit and yen.
On regional issues, Anwar said Malaysia appreciated Japan’s support for Asean, including on Myanmar and the five-point consensus, as well as Tokyo’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
