Tokyo: The Malaysian Design Council (MRM) has entered into a trilateral cooperation agreement with the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) and the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP) to enhance design excellence across Malaysia, Japan, and the wider ASEAN region. The agreement, formalized through a Letter of Intent at the ASEAN Hall in Tokyo, Japan, was signed by MRM director Amirul Fadhli Che Ismail, AJC secretary-general Dr. Kunihiko Chris Hirabayash, and JDP president and CEO Hiroyuki Fukano.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Amirul Fadhli highlighted that the agreement provides a robust framework for collaboration in design education, innovation, and exhibition organization, thereby fostering creative exchanges and economic opportunities. “This is an important step to increase Malaysia’s participation in regional design initiatives and strengthen ties among the ASEAN and Japanese design communities,” he stated in a release.

In the same statement, MRM extended an official invitation to AJC and JDP to become strategic partners for the KL Design Summit 2025 – ASEAN Edition, scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur in December. The summit, supported by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, is anticipated to be the largest design event in the region, with a focus on Industrial Design, Fashion, and Multimedia.

“This initiative is also among MRM’s efforts in supporting Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025, by highlighting the role of design as a driver of regional cooperation and innovation,” the statement noted.