A Year That Did Justice To The Bilateral Relationship

2012 was by any measure an extraordinary year with historic visits by the British Prime Minister and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I asked in my end of year blog whether we could maintain the same level of ambition in 2013.

Looking back on this year, I can emphatically say that we have! Over the course of 2013, our bilateral relationship has continued to grow across virtually all sectors. We are making significant progress on the Prime Ministers’ ambitious target of doubling bilateral trade to £8bn by 2016. We have seen large new investments by UK and Malaysian companies. And we have had a quite astonishing 58% increase in the number of applicants to our Chevening scholarship programme.

I thought I would pick out my highlights of the year.

2013 started in sombre fashion with the four-day siege at the Amenas Gas Plant in Algeria. British and Malaysian workers became the latest victims in what will be a generational struggle against the scourge of terrorism. This was a poignant reminder, in case we needed it, that the threat from terrorism requires a global response which addresses people’s political grievances and combats extremist ideology. We will continue to look for ways to support Prime Minister Najib’s Global Movement of Moderates initiative.

The first quarter of 2013 will also be remembered for the horrific attacks on Malaysian security personnel by Sulu insurgents in Sabah.

April witnessed the sad passing of Lady Thatcher, one of the iconic leaders of the 20^th Century. I had the pleasure of meeting Tun Mahathir when he came to sign a condolence book and sensed his genuine respect for the former British Prime Minister. My blog on their relationship generated more interest – positive and negative – than anything else I have written this year.

May will, of course, be remembered for the most closely fought elections in Malaysia’s history. Whatever your political persuasion, you can’t have failed to have been impressed by a turnout of 84%. This shows the enthusiasm for democratic debate. Politicians from across the spectrum know that they will be held to account for their actions.

The highlight of Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire’s visit in June was the launch, in conjunction with Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, of the Malaysian UK Alumni programme. This initiative is designed to foster links between UK graduates in Malaysia and to create opportunities across all sectors. We estimate that there are over 500,000 UK alumni in Malaysia; more Malaysians study for UK qualification than any other nationality. The Alumni programme has some exciting events in store for 2014 including a debating series.

Education remains a lynchpin of our bilateral relationship. This year’s global Chevening application window closed ten weeks earlier than last year but we still attracted over 600 Malaysian applicants. This substantial increase demonstrates the attractiveness of the Chevening package and the value that Malaysians continue to place on a UK Masters. It was fitting that a Malaysian scholar, Ruth Garnet Maran, was selected as one of this year’s Chevening Ambassador.

The High Commissioner recently said the ground-breaking ceremony of the iconic Battersea Power Station site in July was his highlight of the year. A Malaysian consortium of SP Setia, Sime Darby and EPF successfully bid £650m to purchase and redevelop the site and the overall project is estimated to be worth £8bn. Malaysia is now one of the largest investors in London commercial and residential property.

Investment into Malaysia has also been substantial. BT and Dyson have significantly increased their footprint and the Weir Group have announced a large new investment.

In September, the High Commission moved from Jalan Ampang to a fantastic state-of-the-art facility on the 27^th floor of the Menara Binjai. This modern office space has already transformed our working environment and the improved connectivity has allowed us to expand our online presence. We want to be at the forefront of digital diplomacy so in the New Year, expect more unique content on our website and Facebook page and more interactions with our Twitter followers.

On the policy front, we were delighted that at the UN General Assembly in September, Malaysia signed up to a declaration to tackle sexual violence in conflict. This vital UK initiative has been championed by the Foreign Secretary and Angelina Jolie. The UK will host a global summit in June 2014 to stimulate action. We were also pleased that Malaysia supported efforts to secure an Arms Trade Treaty, which will help to combat the proliferation of illicit weapons.

It’s also worth highlighting Malaysia’s outstanding facilitation of the Mindanao Peace Process. As a member of the International Contact Group, we have seen firsthand the impact of the facilitator’s efforts. The signs are good that a comprehensive peace deal will be signed in early 2014.   

In October, the World Islamic Economic Forum came to London – the first time that it has been held outside the Muslim world. We believe around 500 Malaysians were included in the record 2600 delegates that attended.  WIEF positioned London as a global centre for Islamic Finance and the Prime Minister announced the intention to issue a sovereign sukuk in 2014.

In November, fashion, food and famous celebrities collided in KL’s first GREAT fashion week. This incredible festival involving 28 UK retail brands and over 100 stores was supported by the new London double-decker bus and two fantastic Ambassadors, Gary Rhodes and Zandra Rhodes. I have to admit that my highlight was having a specially branded Mini for the weekend! Get ready for an even bigger week next September!

So what can we expect in 2014? Well, I can tell you that we are going to have a very special visit in the first part of the year (details to be revealed on our Facebook page shortly)! This will be the first visit of its kind since 2008.

We will also continue to work closely with Malaysia on a range of issues including political and economic reform, human rights and conflict resolution in south east Asia and beyond. As Lady Thatcher said ‘Malaysia is a particular friend: an independent country which has a special place in our hearts. We share your wish for a partnership between equals; a true partnership for the future…’

Best wishes from everyone in the High Commission. I look forward to being in touch in the New Year.