Malaysia: Visit of the Mayor of London
Published 11 December 2014
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This publication was archived on 4 July 2016
This article is no longer current. Please refer to Overseas Business Risk - Malaysia
Summary
A high profile, high impact, all singing, all dancing visit which further enhanced the UK’s renewed reputation as Malaysia’s business partner of choice. 22 separate events and activities touching over 2500 participants in just over 48 hours. Huge media (including social) interest extends reach and, more importantly, excellent and genuinely warm political and business engagement helps us progress a number of our key priorities.
Detail
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, visited Kuala Lumpur between Sunday 30 November and Tuesday 2 December. He was accompanied by two business delegations: a group of 9 senior business figures from London, ; and an SME mission numbering 37 led by UKTI London. We maximised their impact by running separate programmes across KL, designed to meet respective needs, but converged the two groups at selected events with the Mayor for maximum effect.
A packed programme kicked off on arrival by jumping on the KL Express train to KL Sentral, KL’s city centre transport hub. A briefing there by its developer, MRCB, on their ambitious expansion plans tied in with discussion of the projects and investments they are keen to pursue in the UK which would support our regeneration needs.
Battersea’s transformation dominated day one, a celebration of Malaysian investment in, and partnership with, London - a calling card for others to follow the Battersea Consortium’s example. Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, the Consortium’s chair, hosted a full house bursting at the seams for a dialogue session titled “A Tale of two GREAT Cities: London and KL”. Over 150 British and Malaysian companies networked with a view to partnerships and alliances. The Mayor’s arrival at this event came via a walkabout then rides on KL’s Light Rapid Transit Train and by bicycle with KL’s Mayor with whom earlier discussions, over a banana leaf curry breakfast, had taken place. Later, alongside PM Najib, the Mayor also unveiled the winning design for the proposed Malaysia Square at Battersea Power Station to another audience of some 200+ people at Malaysia’s administrative capital, Putrajaya.
Education featured with the Mayor formally opening Epsom College Malaysia, a great example of delivering British education in a market where demand is outstripping supply. The two Princes from the Negri Sembilan Royal family attended.. Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes of Air Asia and QPR presided, as an old boy of Epsom and now investor in the local franchise. At this event Fernandes announced resumption of Air Asia X flights to the UK (Gatwick) with their new fleet of A330 NEOs with Rolls Royce engines. We also discussed investments in London regeneration projects.
The High Commissioner hosted a reception t which the Mayor addressed 300+ UK and Malaysian business contacts. We promoted an on-line GREAT competition with a Brompton bike as a prize. A smaller dinner with the senior business delegation and key Malaysian existing and potential investors in the UK followed.
The Mayor’s visit included contacts with Khazanah Nasional, Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund. . Day two was mainly dominated by Khazanah events, including a meeting with their entire Board, and closed with the prestigious “Khazanah Global Lecture” with an audience of over 1,000 Malaysian senior figures,., including PM Najib, the Sultan of Perak and live streaming into four universities in Malaysia, including Nottingham. The Mayor spoke passionately about our shared history, and our shared opportunities. During his speech he helpfully made a strong case for Malaysia to be open to ideas as well as opening its services sector to UK companies without the need for a local partner. He highlighted the success of the London and UK economy as an example of what happens when countries are genuinely open to business, well managed migration and FDI.
A continual stream of media interviews and picture opportunities, with both the travelling UK media and their Malaysian counterparts, were interweaved into the programme. We received prominent local coverage across all media channels. We also tweeted as the action packed programme unfolded.
In line with our GREAT campaign, all of these events saw major use of the “London is GREAT” pillar to the extent that the Battersea consortia have asked if they can use it in their promotional activities.
Comment
This was one of the busiest programmes we have ever organised in Malaysia with a variety of moving parts, and logistical challenges.. The Mayor’s energy, good humour and engagement with all interlocutors impressed local contacts from PM Najib down and further burnished the UK’s refreshed brand in Malaysia.
Disclaimer
The purpose of the FCO Country Update(s) for Business (”the Report”) prepared by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is to provide information and related comment to help recipients form their own judgments about making business decisions as to whether to invest or operate in a particular country. The Report’s contents were believed (at the time that the Report was prepared) to be reliable, but no representations or warranties, express or implied, are made or given by UKTI or its parent Departments (the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)) as to the accuracy of the Report, its completeness or its suitability for any purpose. In particular, none of the Report’s contents should be construed as advice or solicitation to purchase or sell securities, commodities or any other form of financial instrument. No liability is accepted by UKTI, the FCO or BIS for any loss or damage (whether consequential or otherwise) which may arise out of or in connection with the Report.