Research and analysis

Malaysia: Grant Shapps’ visit makes a great impact

Published 17 September 2014

This research and analysis was withdrawn on

This publication was archived on 4 July 2016

This article is no longer current. Please refer to Overseas Business Risk - Malaysia

This publication was archived on 4 July 2016

This article is no longer current. Please refer to Overseas Business Risk - Malaysia

Summary

Grant Shapps undertakes a packed programme delivering high-level support to Malaysia’s GREAT Week and retail/food and drink/experience economy mission. From the McLaren 650S to Ping Coomes (Masterchef winner), we also demonstrate the diversity of our appeal. Mr Shapps is moreover the first UK Cabinet Minister to visit Melaka in living memory. Timely as the city embarks on an ambitious development programme.

Detail

The Rt Hon Grant Shapps, Cabinet Minister without Portfolio, visited Malaysia on 8-10 September for the second time in six months. The focus on this occasion was our GREAT Week and GREAT mission. The Minister’s three day programme was packed with 18 individual activities, including seven speeches.

The programme began over breakfast with the High Commissioner’s Premier Club (of key British firms), providing the Minister with a useful insight into current challenges and advantages of doing business in Malaysia. He moved on to deliver the keynote address at our packed GREAT Week opening workshop, joined by the Deputy Secretary-General of the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism and Culture. In their subsequent meeting, Mr Shapps learned of the strong appeal of British retail brands in Malaysia and noted the significance of growing the UK retail sector as a part of our two Prime Ministers’ commitment to doubling trade and growing investment by 2016.

The Minister’s meeting with Deputy Minister for International Trade and Industry, Dato’ Lee covered: the EU/Malaysia Free Trade Agreement; the further liberalisation of architecture and engineering services; simplification of the tax regime for alcohol in Malaysia ; the future of Malaysian Airlines ; and the current challenges facing other companies .

Mr Shapps then met the President of Genting Resorts World to thank them for hosting our experience economy GREAT mission at their Highlands resort (see attached report on the overall GREAT Mission visit). The discussion highlighted progress on Genting’s new resort in Birmingham, opening in May 2015 creating 1100 new jobs following a £180m investment.

The day closed with a fashion-themed reception at the British Residence at which the Minister spoke with passion about the strength of the bilateral relationship, our commitment to make it grow stronger and the scope for growth in the retail sector. The fashion show saw the launch of the New Look and Lola Skye brands in Malaysia and also featured River Island. We also used the event to showcase products from the newly opened Newens Tea House. For the first time, four major UK automotive brands were showcased together in the driveway – Mini, Land Rover, Jaguar and McLaren 650S (the latter using a GREAT-branded car).

On the second day, the Minister spoke at the opening of the major Rail Asia Conference alongside Tan Sri Hamid, Chairman of the Malaysian Land Transport Authority. Despite Spanish, Italian and French companies sponsoring the event, Mr Shapps was the only overseas, opening speaker. He spoke powerfully in support of the UK’s expertise in the rail sector, and in an earlier meeting with Tan Sri Hamid invited him to a follow up meeting when he visits London at the end of the year.

Mr Shapps then had lunch with the Board of the British Malaysian Chamber here where he heard about progress around the Overseas Business Network Initiative (OBNI) in Malaysia. He also made a short video in support of UK companies that will be attending the International BIM (Building Information Management) Day 2014 Conference here drawing on his experience as a former Housing Minister. He then met Tan Sri Salim, CEO of MRCB to discuss a major MRCB development.

The Minister joined the CEO of the EIC to open their new ASEAN Regional Office in KL and spoke to a large audience in support of the relevance of UK oil & gas expertise in Malaysia. Finally, the Minister visited the GREAT BIG Pub Night at which several brand new UK beers and other drinks were launched in Malaysia. The event was also attended by Ping Coombs, the Malaysian-born winner of UK MasterChef 2014.

On the final day, the Minister opened and spoke at the launch of a GREAT UK Food and Drink Fair at one of the major supermarket chains here. Ping Coombs delighted everyone with her “fish and chips with a Malaysian twist” menu for visiting shoppers.

Mr Shapps then moved to Melaka, becoming the first UK Minister to visit this historic city (and former Crown Colony) in living memory. The main theme of the visit was tourism, and the opportunities that offers UK companies. The Minister spoke in support of the visiting British companies during a site visit and briefing by KAJ Developers, who are building a massive development on reclaimed coastal land. There was great interest in what the visiting UK companies had to offer. During Mr Shapps’ meeting with the Chief Minister of the State of Melaka, he was told that UK experience economy companies, as well as those from retail and food & drink, would be welcome to explore the opportunities being created by the State Government’s drive to increase tourism on the back of Melaka’s UNESCO World Heritage status. The welcome that the Minister and the GREAT Week mission received was noticeable. Almost all the State’s Executive Committee joined local business figures at the subsequent dinner where Mr Shapps again spoke passionately about the UK/Malaysia relationship and the capabilities of the visiting UK companies.

Comment

This was the Minister’s second visit to Malaysia this year. It was a packed and diverse programme which provides a solid platform for moving forward on these and other sectors.