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Moving Up In The World!

Nikesh Mehta

What has three miles of telephone and IT cabling, a floor size of 13,000sqft, and 40% of its wall space covered in coloured, writable glass? Need another clue? It’s also the greenest building in Kuala Lumpur’s Central Business District.

It’s the new British High Commission which opens its doors on 1 October!

In just three weeks’ time, the British High Commission will move from its present location on Jalan Ampang to a fantastic, state-of-the-art office space on the 27th floor of the Menara Binjai. This move up in the world will transform our working environment and will be a far better symbol of our dynamic and reenergised relationship with Malaysia where some 80% of staff are working on the front line to deliver on our goals.

Our current High Commission building was constructed in 1989: a time when messages were sent by fax, phone calls were made from desks; and our consular services involved submitting paper documents in person and in triplicate. We needed to a have an office space large enough to accommodate a busy visa section and an adequate waiting area for applicants.

But times have changed.

Malaysian nationals wishing to visit the UK no longer require a visa and the processing of visa applications for other nationals is managed effectively by our Visa Application Centre and our embassy in Manila. And, there is now much more information on consular services such as the registration of births and marriages available on our High Commission’s website. This has meant that large parts of the current High Commission have become surplus to requirement.

The new High Commission has a layout far more conducive to modern working. Each section will be in an open-plan environment, which will improve communication between members of staff. We will also have lots of flexible spaces for team meetings or private discussions. I am particularly excited about the large break-out area not least because it’s next to my section. All of the walls in this area are writable – the perfect space to get the creative juices flowing – and it will serve as a place to unwind in the evenings. In effect leaving the office without leaving the office floor

But it’s not only our physical requirements which have evolved.

A few months ago, I wrote about how the rise of social media and the advent of ‘citizen journalism’ had changed the face of diplomacy. The digital revolution presents incredible opportunities for diplomats to be more accessible and to connect with a much wider audience. This is particularly relevant in Malaysia where nearly 90% of the country is online and almost half the population has a Facebook account.

But in order to grasp this opportunity, we need to have the right tools and infrastructure in place. I hope you have noticed that we have been more active on our social media channels of late. We have added more unique content to our website and Facebook pages, and we have made a strong push to engage directly on issues that matter though our Twitter accounts.

The new High Commission will provide us with the perfect platform to expand even further our online presence. So look out for more competitions, debates and opportunities to air your views.

I have said many times on my blog that the bilateral relationship between the UK and Malaysia has been elevated to its highest level in recent memory with 10% more staff than 2 years ago. We now have a High Commission which will symbolise all that perfectly.

The new High Commission’s details are:

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