I’m very pleased that Simon Featherstone, the British High Commissioner, has agreed to write a guest blog for me on his three and a half years in Malaysia. Both Simon and Gail will be sorely missed by everyone in the High Commission and we wish them well on their return to the UK.
As any diplomat will tell you, the last few weeks of a posting are very hectic. You have to wind up lots of issues, say goodbye to friends and colleagues, and you have to find the time to organise the packing of your belongings. Invariably, you will have at least 50% more things than you did at the start of your tour and then comes the delicate conversation with your partner about what stays and what goes…
For Gail and I, our departure this week after three and a half years in Malaysia will leave us many happy memories. We have had a wonderful time both personally and professionally and will miss many things about this stunning country – not least the fantastic people that we have met.
I thought I would share with you some of my highlights and a couple of my hopes for Malaysia.
By far the saddest event during my time in Malaysia was the tragic disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. I cannot imagine what the families of those on board must be going through on a daily basis. My heart goes out to them. I have been proud of the role that the UK has played in the search effort and we will continue to offer whatever support we can. I hope that the aircraft is found soon so that the families may have some closure.
I am really pleased with the current state of the bilateral relationship between Malaysia and the UK. The relationship has been elevated to its highest level in recent memory across virtually all sectors. I agree with Prime Minister Najib’s comment to me two weeks ago that the era of ‘benign neglect’ has been firmly consigned to history. When we first arrived, no serving British Prime Minister had been to Malaysia for 17 years and no British Cabinet Minister for 5 years. However, over the last three years, we have seen more high-level visits in both directions than in the previous two decades starting with the visit to the UK by Prime Minister Najib in July 2011 followed closely by Prime Minister Cameron’s visit here in April 2012.
In April 2012, Prime Minister Cameron announced that ‘Britain is back and open for business’ and the two leaders committed to an ambitious target of doubling trade and growing investment to £8bn by 2016. I am pleased that we have made significant progress towards this target helped in no small part by the Malaysian acquisition of the iconic Battersea Power Station site and large scale investments in Malaysia by British companies like Weir Group, Smiths Group, BT and Dyson. Our fantastic GREAT fashion week in November 2013 supported by a specially branded double-decker bus showed that British retail brands continue to be world leaders and much loved in Malaysia.
Our education relationship has also grown exponentially over the last few years. The UK continues to attract Malaysian students in record numbers and more students study for UK qualifications here than in any other country in the world. Many of our world-renowned educational institutions including Nottingham, Newcastle, Southampton, Reading and Heriott-Watt universities have established or are in the process of establishing campuses in Malaysia. We now have one of the world’s largest Chevening scholarship programmes and are creating ever-stronger links with the estimated 500,000 UK alumni.
When we first made the decision to sell our old High Commission compound on Jalan Ampang, eyebrows were raised and questions were asked about our presence in Malaysia. I am delighted to say that the move to Menara Binjai has been a resounding success. The state-of-the-art facilities have transformed our working environment and are a much better symbol of our vibrant and dynamic relationship with Malaysia.
My personal highlight was the visit in September 2012 of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Even now, people that I meet tell me with great fondness about their own interactions with the Royal couple. I know that they had a wonderful time in Malaysia and were delighted to launch Malaysia’s national paediatric palliative care programme at Hospis Malaysia.
The High Commission’s relationship with Hospis Malaysia has grown stronger ever since. Last month, with the support of HRH Raja Zarith, the Sultanah of Johor, we launched a children’s book that my wife had written based on stories that I used to tell our children. The proceeds from Mr Monty’s Treat will be given to Hospis Malaysia and I’m delighted that so many sponsors have come on board to support the project. It’s on sale for RM25 at MPH, Debenhams, Hamleys, Cold Storage, Mercato and Jasons.
One further highlight was the World Islamic Economic Forum in October 2013. It was a great honour for the UK to host this prestigious event and I was pleased to have played a role in preparing for its success. The UK will issue a sovereign sukuk this financial year and I am confident that our partnership on Islamic finance will go from strength to strength.
Malaysia continues to be a close partner in tackling some of the world’s security challenges. Our dialogue with Malaysia under the Five Powers Defence Agreement has deepened during my tenure and I was delighted that HMS Daring could pay us a visit in January 2014 fresh from supporting the Philippines government in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.
I must commend Malaysia’s successful facilitation of the Mindanao Peace Process, which led to the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement in March 2014. As an active member of the International Contact Group, we witnessed at first hand Tengku Ghaffar’s tireless efforts. We were also pleased to support Prime Minister Najib’s Global Movement of Moderates initiative. This could be a vital tool in the fight against extremism and I look forward to seeing how it develops.
Without doubt, the defining political event of my posting was the closely fought general election in May 2013. Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, one cannot fail to be impressed by the public’s involvement in the process. A turnout of almost 85% is unheard of in most western countries. I hope the coming months will see a more inclusive democratic process and that the repeal of colonial era legislation like the sedition act will get back on track.
I also hope that religious freedom in Malaysia continues to be respected. Recent incidents have damaged Malaysia’s reputation as a tolerant and diverse nation. As Baroness Warsi, the British Minister, said during her visit to Malaysia last month, ‘creating freedom, openness, and respect for different thoughts and ideas allows you to make the most of people’s differences and harness their full potential’
I want to end by saying that it has been a huge privilege to serve as British High Commissioner to Malaysia. I will miss the friends I have made here, the delicious food, the chance to watch so much live EPL football and the beauty and diversity of this unique county.