29th October 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
One of my favourite things about being a diplomat is having the opportunity to represent the UK at fun and unusual events. This past weekend was a good example: I attended the opening ceremony of the Asian Youth Para Games; helped to launch UNICEF’s ‘Disable to Enable’ campaign in Malaysia; and got to hold the […]
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9th September 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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 […]
9th July 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I’m delighted that Simon Featherstone, the British High Commissioner, has agreed to write a guest blog on Prime Minister Najib’s groundbreaking(!) visit to the UK. It’s not often that you get a behind-the-scenes look at an occasion of this magnitude so please enjoy and feel free to post your thoughts or comments below. The work […]
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28th June 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I am often asked what best defines the UK-Malaysia bilateral relationship? Is it the closeness of our business ties? Or could it be our shared history? Or is the strength of our education links? Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire’s visit to Malaysia this week suggests it’s all of these areas and many more. In the […]
15th April 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
This post is also available in English Pada Rabu lepas, saya berpeluang untuk bertemu dengan mantan Perdana Menteri Malaysia keempat, iaitu Y.Bhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad sewaktu lawatan beliau ke kediaman Pesuruh Jaya Tinggi British di Kuala Lumpur. Antara lain, lawatan itu adalah bagi beliau menyampaikan pesanan takziah ke atas pemergian mantan Perdana Menteri Wanita […]
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11th April 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
This Blog is also available in Bahasa Malaysia. Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure of meeting Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir when he came to the High Commissioner’s residence to write a message in a condolence book to mark the sad passing of Lady Thatcher. Tun Mahathir’s message and some of the comments on […]
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8th March 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I’m delighted that Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, daughter of Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohammad, has kindly agreed to write a guest blog for the British High Commission to mark International Women’s Day 2013. This year’s theme is ‘The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum’. As one of Malaysia’s foremost advocates for gender equality, I couldn’t […]
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5th February 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
What does a Diplomat do? My friends and family often ask me this question, and it’s not so easy to answer. The Oxford English Dictionary describes diplomacy as “…the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations” and a Diplomat as someone who “…typically represents a country abroad“. But, of course it’s a lot more […]
25th January 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
For one Malaysian family, 2013 has started in the worst possible way. Mr Chong Ngen Chung and many others, including from the UK, have become the latest victims in what our Prime Minister has rightly described as a ‘…generational struggle against an ideology which is an extreme distortion of the Islamic faith, and which holds […]
20th December 2012 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I board a flight this evening to spend Christmas with my wife’s family in Brisbane and I finally have a chance to reflect on what was, by any measure, the most extraordinary year for the UK-Malaysia bilateral relationship. A year which has seen our links across virtually all sectors, from education to trade, grow to […]