japan's prime minister has laid the groundwork to revise the 66-year-old pacifist constitution. but a new nhk poll suggests japanese are divided on the change. malaysians are preparing to vote this weekend. the coalition that has ruled them since the 1950s is facing growing public dissatisfaction and is looking vulnerable in the face of a surging opposition. hello, and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. japanese prime minister shinzo abe has spent his first few months in office focusing on the economy. now he's adding another issue to his agenda.

he wants to revise the constitution which marks its 66th anniversary on friday. in particular, abe is eyeing a redefinition of the country's defense forces. japanese are divided over whether the constitution should be changed at all. nhk world junio yatsumoto explains. >> reporter: prime minister shinzo abe has waited for years to revise japan's constitution. he and his ruling democratic party have kept that goal in sight since they took power last december. >> translator: it is prime minister abe's belief that we need to change the constitution for assembling an independent nation state. >> reporter: the constitution was written after world war ii. the u.s.-led allied forces controlled its drafting. the most significant

characteristic is pacifism. article ix says the japanese people forever renounce war. it red japan to maintain armed forces exclusively for defense. the liberal democrats want to upgrade the status of the self-defense forces to a military force. >> translator: in japan, the sdf is not called a military, but it's treated as one in international laws. we need to resolve the contradiction in accordance with reality. >> reporter: nhk polled about 1600 people to get their thoughts on the possible change. 33% said they would want to revise article ix. 30% said no. 32% were undecided. the poll suggests attitudes among japanese are changing. the yes answers are up 5% from six years ago while the nos are down 11 points. among those in favor of modifying the constitution, they

said it should be revised to clearly stipulate japan's right to have defense capabilities. about one-third wants to make changes to allow japan to take part in u.n.-led military activities. among those against modifying the constitution, about two-thirds identified article ix as the most important article. 16% said it doesn't need to be revised. and that changing its interpretation would be enough. >> translator: i personally want to keep the peace constitution as it is. >> translator: it's been a long time since it was established. so i think it's all right to change it in accordance with reality. >> reporter: prime minister abe says he first wants to change the procedure to amend the constitution.

article xcvi stipulates two-thirds support in both chambers is required before any changes can happen in the referendum. abe wants to makes conditions for diety approval a simple majority. constitutional experts are split on the issue. >> translator: people tend to think of procedure as not important. but on this issue, it has substantial meaning. a normal law can be passed with a simple majority. the hurdle for a constitutional amendment was made deliberately high because of its special importance. >> translator: the change will allow the people to express their opinions. rather than making the hurdle higher to propose a change, a proposal should be put to the people so they can make the

decision. >> reporter: prime minister abe wants to make revising the constitution an important part of his campaign for this summer's upper house elections. political parties are already discussing the pros and cons. the debate may make japanese more familiar and more opinionated about a document that's guided them for more than six decades. junio yotsumoto, nhk world, tokyo. politics is the big topic of discussion in malaysia right now at restaurants, cafes and in homes across the southeast asian nations. voters cast ballots in a general election on sunday. the national front coalition has ruled since independence from britain in 1957. but now the opposition people's alliance is vying for a majority. malaysia is a multi-ethnic nation. the malays make up more than half the population. but they were at an economic disadvantage compared to the second largest ethnic group, the chinese.

sense the 1970s, the ruling party has tried to reduce this disparity with a policy called bumiputra. the affirmative action was popular with malays and kept the national front coalition in power for more than half a century. malaysians have seen their gdp grow five-fold over the last 30 years. but critics say the only people to profit from this growth were those connected to the government. even malays who have enjoyed the benefits of affirmative action feel an increasing dissatisfaction. nhk's daisuka azima reports. >> reporter: malaysians have watched the economy boom. it expanded by 5.6% in 2012 and imf analysts predict similar growth this year. across the capital city, there is a frenzy of construction. buyers are snapping up penthouses at record prices,

even before they are built. consumption is up, despite a 10,000 hike in prices over the last decade. and the healthy economy is encouraging malaysians to buy. >> translator: i plan to spend about $170 on clothes today. >> translator: the economy is developing because clothes are getting more expensive. >> reporter: despite economic growth, there are still plenty of people who feel aggrieved. mohammed is an ethnic malay. he works as a motorcycle courier. he says the policy hasn't helped him because he has no political connections. he earns 560 u.s. dollars a month. his wife works as well, bringing the total household income up to

$1,000. that's 60% the national average. he always dreamed of buying a home for his family, but rising prices have put a damper on his plans. >> translator: people like me, we have to spend extra carefully. it's not fair. >> reporter: politicians on both sides have promised to increase wages and reduce the income gap. zahari is dissatisfied with the ruling party, but he also worries that the opposition does not have the political experience needed to rule. >> translator: whatever the current government lacks, an

opposition government could have its own shortcomings. >> reporter: and some experts say the preferential treatment is not enough to liquefy their economic priorities. >> there is income distribution that is the main cause of dissatisfaction. it's not between groups now, so the challenge or issue now is reading each particular community, that distribution does not seem to be fair or has not filtered down to those that need it most. >> reporter: the ruling party leaders say continued economic growth will lead to higher wages. opposition party leaders insist a change of government is necessary to bring equality. and malaysian voters will be casting votes on sunday, hoping for a balance of both. >> and nhk world's daisuke azuma is back in tokyo.

james tengan spoke with him earlier. >> malaysia is seeing a widening wealth gap. is that the biggest issue in this election? >> yes, many malaysians are unhappy with the situation. the difference are not just between ethnic groups. the difference is also within the groups, as we saw. another sort of difference is between the countryside and the city. kuala lumpur residents earn more than rural workers. politicians on both sides promise to deal with the problem. but the solutions are mostly the same. >> so how likely is it that the opposition party will secure a majority for the first time? >> the election will be close, but rather than the opposition gaining, it may be that ruling party -- since independence in 1957. during this time, the economy has expanded. but critics say there is too much corruption.

on top of this, prices are rising. as a result, even ethnic malay are turning away from the party they have traditionally supported. at the same time, however, many people lack confidence in the opposition people's alliance, so both have to weigh their unhappiness with their anxiety about the opposition. >> what could be the outcome of this election? >> it's difficult to predict. it may be too close for the

winner to clearly rule. this could mean problem. malaysians have a high investment thanks to its steady administration. the country's gdp per capita ranks second in southeast asia, but if the election leads to confusion, it could lack investor confidence. and that may affect further economic development. malaysia is seen as a good economic model for the region. so people throughout southeast asia are very interested to see how this multi-ethnic country will vote on sunday. >> that was nhk world's daisuke azuma. european central bank has cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low. the move is intended to prop up the region's sluggish economy. the bank's policymakers met in bratislava, slovakia. they agreed to lower the late to 0.5%. eurozone economic prospects remain uncertain. recent forecasts suggest that even germany is facing a worsening situation. the country is the region's leading economy. >> the count in interest rates should contribute to support prospects for a recovery later in the year. against this overruled background, our monetary policy stance will remain accommodative for as long as needed.

>> the ecb has decided to take new measures to stimulate lending to smaller businesses to help them stay afloat. japan has concluded a deal with the united arab emirates that allows it to export nuclear power technology to the middle eastern country. it's the first such agreement since the fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. japanese prime minister shinzo abe is visiting the persian state. abe conveyed japan's plan to hold ministerial level strategic talks on a regular basis with six gulf arab states, known as the gulf cooperation counsel. he also called for the start of working-level discussions with the uae toward an investment agreement. >> translator: uae's expectation for japan is very high because

they think japan has the best nuclear technology and very strict safety regulations after experiencing the severe accident. therefore, japan should meet their expectations. >> uae vice president replied his country wants to work with japan in various energy fields and serve as a gateway for it to the middle east and north africa. the two leaders concluded the nuclear deal. they also agreed to promote bilateral investments and economic exchanges. u.s. researchers say north korean scientists and engineers are nearing completion of an experimental light water nuclear reactor. the country claims it is intended for power generation, but it could add to worries over

its nuclear program. researchers at johns hopkins university analyzed satellite imagery of the reactor. they say a dome was placed over the reactor containment building and cooling water pipes appear to have been installed by last november. the external construction of the building was complete in february of this year. a large construction crane had been disassembled and removed by late march. the researchers say the reactor could go into operation within a few months if nuclear fuel is available. they say north korea's lack of experience in operating light-water reactors raises serious safety concerns. the analysts say the reactor seems to be designed to produce electricity for the civilian economy, but they add that it will have a residual capability to produce plutonium that can be used for nuclear weapons. a delegation of south korean lawmakers will visit japan next tuesday to protest visits by japanese cabinet ministers to a

war-linked shrine in tokyo. kim from the ruling sanuri party and two others are coming in line with a korean government resolution. the resolution was adopted by south korea's assembly on monday. it says the behavior of the cabinet of prime minister shinzo abe will damage relations between the two countries. it also demanded the japanese government reflect on its words and actions and offer an apology. the south korean delegation plans to hand former finance minister a letter of protest. he is head of a japan/south korea lawmakers league. they also seek ways to improve soured ties with their japanese counterparts. people in south korea are developing a taste for japanese food. and operators of a major pump

chain are trying to cash in. officials opened their first branch in south korea on thursday. it's in had the gangnam district of the capital seoul. the area is popular for its upscale stores and fashion boutiques. it operates more than 700 pumps in japan and around the world. the chairman and ceo said he plans to open 100 branches in south korea over the next ten years. he said he hopes japanese cuisine can help mend relations between the two countries. ties have soured over territorial disputes and views of wartime history. >> translator: south korea is located very close to japan, but there's still a feeling of being apart. it would be a great pleasure if our business could help develop friendly ties.

>> japanese food is growing popular in south korea as more people travel to japan. some japanese restaurants, including sushi chains, have already opened branches in seoul. u.s. trade officials are urging the chinese government to crack down on hackers who are stealing american intellectual property. they say cyberattacks from china are a grave and escalating problem. the office of the united states trade representative released police in the u.s. state of kentucky are investigating a tragedy that could rally proponents of gun control. a 5-year-old boy killed his 2-year-old sister with a child-size rifle he received for his birthday. investigators say the boy was playing with the gun at home and shot his sister by accident. they say the children's mother was cleaning another room and they say she hadn't realized the gun was loaded. the manufacturer markets the weapon for children using the slogan "my first rifle." >> you learn to start shooting a gun here at a very young age, you know, learning how to hunt.

the whole community is just absolutely devastated from this, you know? >> some americans have been campaigning since december for tougher laws on gun ownership. a gunman had killed 20 children and six adults at a school in the state of connecticut. senators considered a bill to expand background checks on people who want to buy firearms. they came under pressure from proponents of gun ownership and threw out the bill. experts say badly loaded freight is responsible for a plane crash in bagram air base. video footage shows the plane stalling seconds before it suddenly plummeted with the right-wing pointed down. the jet erupted into a baffle fire as it hit the ground. u.s. media quoted experts saying the 747 could have lost balance due to five military vehicles improperly loaded in its cargo hold. the taliban quickly claimed

responsibility. a spokesperson for the nato led international forces said there were no reports of insurgent activity in or around the base at the time. thousands are still waiting to go home. vast tracts of land are still waiting to be restored. and more than half of shipping ports on the pacific coast must be rebuilt. still facing challenges of the 2011 disaster but step by step they're moving forward. see their stories every wednesday on "the road ahead" right here on "newsline." young japanese who experienced the tsunami two years ago dream of rebuilding their communities. for inspiration, some of them are looking overseas. one group of students visited indonesia. they want to learn how people there recovered from the indian

ocean tsunami nine years ago. >> reporter: a group of high school students arrives on a special visit to aceh. they are from northeastern japan. their hometowns were devastated by the tsunami of march 2011. this girl grew up in the poor town of aceh. she hopes to pursue a career in the field of reconstruction. until recently, she was eager to avoid painful memories of the disaster. but in aceh, she discovers people have a different approach. many surrounding places were lefts untouched. >> translator: now i understand

that the ships and other debris from the disaster serve as an important reminder. not just for aceh, but for people in japan and the rest of the world. they remind us of the terrible damage caused by the tsunamis. >> reporter: besides learning about reconstruction, she has a more personal goal to fulfill. she's hoping to reunite with a young woman who visited her school after the tsunami. she used her own experience in aceh to help japanese children hit by the disaster. she was 11 when the indian ocean tsunami devastated the coast. she was traumatized by the loss of her aunt and uncle. four years later, she began studying japanese through a nonprofit organization involved

in the reconstruction effort. >> translator: i know it's impossible to avoid the pain of losing members of your family, but i've also learned that taking up new challenges allows you to make new friends and to regain confidence. >> reporter: it's the last day of her visit to aceh. the moment she's been waiting for has finally arrived. nora brought a little surprise. it's a video of an event held on march 11th to encourage the survivors of the tsunami in japan. ♪ the video shows students holding up the japanese character. >> translator: i didn't expect people in aceh to hold such an event. it's very touching. i had an unforgettable experience here, and i don't

want to waste it. i hope i can build on it to help reconstruct my hometown in japan. >> reporter: she is being encouraged by the people of aceh. with the support, she's now

making great strides forward. nhk world, aceh, indonesia. let's look at the latest market figures. here is the world weather frafrt. forecast.

tigers are typically thought of as being quite fierce animals, but a fluffy quartet of white tiger cubs has become a favorite attraction among visitors at a zoo near tokyo. the four cubs were born last month. the blue-eyed baby tigers are now 40 centimeters long and weigh about 5 kilograms, five times heavier than when they were born. there are only about 200 living white tigers, a variation of the bengal tiger. the zoo will ask the public to suggest names for the cubs later this month. that's all we have this hour on "newsline." i'm ross mihara in tokyo. thank you for joining us on nhk world.

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