Universiti Malaysia Perlis (Unimap) and Fujii Engineering of Japan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the establishing of cooperation in research and commercialisation of electric vehicles, Tokyo Auto Salon Kuala Lumpur announced in a statement.

This MoU was signed by Unimap vice chancellor Datuk Zaliman Sauli and CEO vehicle design engineer of Fujii Engineering Mitsuru Fuji, at the inaugural running of the Tokyo Auto Salon Kuala Lumpur last weeek in Kuala Lumpur. The collaboration between both parties aims to provide Unimap with a platform to enhance its industrial training programme by sending its students to Fujii Engineering in Japan, the statement read.

“Through this cooperation between Japan and Malaysia, we hope to create electric vehicles that are more competitive. I am looking forward to working with Unimap to promote exchange and technological development between Japanese and Malaysian engineers,” said Fuji.

“This collaboration to co-develop and commercialise electric vehicles is in line with Unimap’s aggressive and advanced push into the development of automotive technology, a large degree of which is taking place via our various efforts in motorsports,” said Datuk Zaliman.

Hosted at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) on June 9 to 11, Tokyo Auto Salon Kuala Lumpur covered floor space totalling 130,000 sq ft with a total of 91,000 visitors across the three-day running of the event.

Top names in the Japanese performance tuning spheres were present including Top Secret, HKS and GReddy, along with pop culture representation the form of cars from the Initial D series. There was local market OEM participation, too, with Mitsubishi and Nissan present, and a special one-off Nismo-restored R34-generation Skyline GT-R for Prince Jefri Ibrahim of the Johor royal family.