KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - AT LEAST 15,000 locals have had their jobs 'certified safe' - thanks to a turn of events in Japan.

Sony Corp in Tokyo, hard hit by the global crunch, has decided to downsize and move part of its operations here to save costs.

Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horie (pic) said that with this development, up to 15,000 Sony employees in the company's four plants in Malaysia could keep their jobs.

The envoy said Sony EMCS (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Satoshi Okawa relayed the good news to him at a recent briefing.

'Besides cutting costs, Sony Japan's shift here is also in recognition of the excellent infrastructure and facilities available in Malaysia.

'Sony Malaysia is one of Sony Corp's top branches in the world in terms of human resource development, on-the-job training and also product variety and quality,' Horie told The Star.

The Sony plants here make 1,500 products, including the cutting-edge Bravia LCD TVs and laptop computers, with an annual output of 35 million units.

Malaysia's affiliation with Sony, a leading manufacturer of electronic goods, started way back in 1973.

Sony Corp has branches all over the world, including in Europe, the Middle East, North America, Latin America and Africa.

Mr Horie said Japan was pleased with the progress and advancement achieved by Sony in Malaysia.

The Star/Asia News Network