Writer's Cramp and Chevening Scholarships

I signed my name about fifty times today!  Why?  Because I was signing the certificates for the many Malaysian recipients of Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships. “What is Chevening?”, you might ask.  Well, it is the name we have given to the range of opportunities the British Government offers to young Malaysians to go to the UK to study.  A scholarship is normally for a one year taught Masters programme for Malaysians below 35.  A fellowship is usually to support a 3-4 month stint for those in their mid career, who see benefit in gaining new insights from an academic experience in the UK.  Candidates are chosen not only for their excellence in their field, but also for their leadership qualities.  More details are given on our website: http://ukinmalaysia.fco.gov.uk.

I am a great believer in Chevening.  It demonstrates our commitment to Malaysia in a unique way, seeking out young people at an early age who are going to be leaders of this country in the future, in a wide range of disciplines.  And we have a strong track record in selection: Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, Head of Khazanah is a Chevening scholar.  But so too is Bernard Chaudry, one of Malaysia’s brightest young film makers.  And Dina Zaman, author of the influential book “I am Muslim”. And Nithi Nesadurai, a well-established environmental commentator, who also heads the Chevening Alumni Malaysia group (website: http://www.cheveningalumni.org.my). There is also Rafidah Abdullah, a scriptwriter, TV host, actress, columnist and lyricist and Edmund Bon, a lawyer and the Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Malaysian Bar Council.

To date, a total of 1200 Malaysians have studied in the UK under the Chevening programme.  I must say there is a rich crop of talent!
 
One way in which we keep the scheme running is by taking partners, from British business and academia, who co-fund the scholarships.  My final two signatures today were on new partnership agreements with Cranfield and Queen’s University Belfast (my own alma mater).  These universities  see this scheme as one of the ways in which they can underpin their growing engagement with Malaysia.

World's No.1 Badminton Player Comes to Tea!

Today Lee Chong Wei, World No 1 in badminton came to tea.  I invited him to congratulate him on his recent victory in the Gentlemen’s Singles Champion at the All England Badminton Championship, the world’s oldest and still one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit.  It predates by decades the World Championships.  So it is a good title to win.

I am a former badminton player and a real fan.  So it was a great pleasure to meet Chong Wei.  His coach of many years, Misbun Sidek, himself a former All England Runner-up , also came.  And it was a marvellous opportunity for me to talk through the final at Birmingham and the qualities of Chong Wei’s exciting young Japanese opponent, whose net play and composure were remarkable.  I even got to hit a few rallies with Chong Wei in the garden of the Residence, as did a number of colleagues from the High Commission, who had come to meet their hero.

Chong Wei obviously has to be very careful with his diet, but tucked in nevertheless to cucumber sandwiches, fruit cake and curry puffs (a specialty of the house!).   He also took the time to answer questions and to sign autographs on racket covers brought along by one of the High Commission staff for his badminton-playing friends.  (We will hopefully be able to auction one of these off for charity!).  

When the time came to break up the party, I was delighted to be able to wish Chong Wei all the best for the Thomas Cup (to be played in Kuala Lumpur in May), the World Badminton Championships (to be hosted by England next year) and of course the 2012 Olympics in London, where I sincerely hope he will be Malaysia’s first ever gold medal winner!

Trade and Investment: A Win-Win for the UK and Malaysia

I read with interest the reports in this week's press about a seminar in Birmingham featuring Malaysia's energetic Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.  The aim was to persuade British companies of the benefits of investing in Malaysia.  The last time Datuk Seri Mustapa did an event like this was last April in London.  And I was there to support his message. 

Malaysia is an excellent country for British companies to consider when they are looking to move into the dynamic Asia-Pacific region, the real power-house of today's global economy.  We already have several hundred firms here, operating in fields as diverse as financial services (eg HSBC, Standard Chartered, RBS and Prudential), oil and gas (Shell, Petrofac, AMEC), petrochemicals (BP), pharmaceuticals (Astra-Zeneca, Glaxo) and retail services (Giant, Tesco, Guardian).  But the Minister is right to focus on new areas like advanced engineering and life sciences. 

Dyson is one UK manufacturer which has made a new home in Malaysia.  They now make all their modernistic (and highly successful) vacuum cleaners in Johore and are looking to locate further operations in the Iskandar region.   A recently launched new product is the "air multiplier", a revolutionary bladeless fan (see photo).  One of the things Dyson have found since being here is that they have been able to move to Malaysia not only manufacturing, but also design, thanks to the quality of local design engineers.

Lotus (see separate Blog entry) is also an example of a UK high-performance engineering company which can bring valuable expertise to Malaysia, thus helping to strengthen the country's engineering base.  Aerospace is another, with one major company already established in Subang and doing very well.   We also see real opportunities in green technology and biotechnology, where the UK is a world leader.  I have a large team at the High Commission working on the trade and investment agenda.  As Malaysia's New Economic Model is unveiled,  We will be continuing to work with Datuk Seri Mustapa and his colleagues to identify further opportunities for UK-Malaysian co-operation.  I am convinced that this is a win-win for both sides.

LOTUS Returns to F1

Another big sports event this week-end was the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Bahrain, the opening race of the new season and the first outing for the brand new Lotus.  Lotus were of course no match for the Ferraris and McLarens.  But these are teams that have huge amounts of money and vast experience stretching over many years.  Lotus has done a fantastic job putting a team onto the grid at all in only six months, starting from scratch.  And for both cars to finish the race was a terrific result.  Speeds and performance are bound to improve as the season goes on.

I am not actually a great fan of F1.  So the reason why I am excited by Lotus is that it is a true UK-Malaysian joint venture.  The colour of the car is British racing green, the engine is a Cosworth and the construction and testing were done in Norfolk.  But the team principal is Malaysia's own Tony Fernandes, there are Malaysians in all key management roles and the car proudly bear the "One Malaysia" slogan in its side.  A perfect example of the best of British teaming up with the best this country has to offer.  As Tony said in his comments to the press after the race: "This is a British-Malaysian collaboration that is working very well.  But it is a Malaysian team.  When we do win, Negaraku will be played."  Well done to all involved!


*Photos adapted from Google Images.

Malaysia BOLEH!!

Like many millions of Malasians I sat up late last night to watch the final of the All-England Badminton finals.  The major event was of course the Men's Singles.  Surely this time, at his seventh attempt, Chong Wei could take the coveted title.  And he did: 21-19 21-19.  Today's papers show a delighted Penangite holding aloft the silver cup.  And the record books will say that Lee Chong Wei won the 100th All England, the oldest and most prestigious tournament in the badminton calendar.  And there could not be a more popular or a more worthy winner. 

Chong Wei has been a tremendous Ambassador for Malaysia.  The crowd in Birmingham gave him a fantastic reception: not just the Malaysians present, but everyone in the stadium.  He has won so many titles over the years.  But this was "the big one", the one that had eluded him so far.  His opponent was not after all Lin Dan, his nemesis, but a young qualifier from Japan, Kenichi Tago, who "fought with the spirit of a Bushido warrier" (NST) and will, I am sure be a future star of the game.  

My interest in badminton goes back to my own playing days, when I represented Northern Ireland.  Rudi Hartono was All England champion then and the great Malaysian names were Ng Boon Bee, Tan Aik Huan and the Sidek brothers.  Early on in my time here, I got a call from someone who had heard about this interest and invited me to come along and "hit with a visiting English player", who was currently training in Malaysia.  I turned up at the KL Rackets Club to find myself lined up with Andrew Smith, England's top singles player (knocked out in one of the early rounds of the All England) and playing against a number of Malaysian team players including several Commonwealth Games medallists and other tournament winners.   Needless to say, my game was not quite up to their standard.  But I really enjoyed the experience, which gave me a sense of the importance of the sport to Malaysia and the sheer talent available in this country.

At future sessions I got the chance to meet Hafiz (All England Single's champion in 2003) and even appeared on court - albeit briefly - with Chong Wei himself.  The pace of his smash (unreturnable!!) and his sheer alll-round athleticism were amazing.  But he also impressed with his modesty and commitment to the game.  A true Malaysian champion!

Scottish Veterans Return

One of the first events I attended when I arrived in Malaysia in 2006 was a ceremony, at which over thirty veterans from the King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) were awarded the Pinggat Jaya Malaysia (PJM) medal by the Malaysian Government for services during the Emergency.  I was delighted to be invited back to meet another group of KOSB veterans this week at the Shangri-La Hotel.  Waiting in the foyer was a kilted warrior with the bagpipes, waiting to play me into the hall with a Scottish reel.

This time there were sixty veterans and thirty-seven wives and supporters, all celebrating the 55th anniversary of the KOSB’s arrival in Malaya in 1955. Major General Dato’ Zulkiflee bin Mazlan, head of Director General for Veterans’ Affairs in the Malaysian Ministry of National Defence (who was one of the many Malaysians who attended Sandhurst Military Academy in the UK) was there to present a beautiful enamel badge to commemorate the occasion.  The badge, designed by tour organiser Ogilvie Dickson, proudly bears the arms of the KOSB and also the hibiscus.

I was pleased to say a few words to welcome the veterans.  For some it was their first visit back to Malaysia.  Then they had come out in their teens and twenties to a country of jungles and rivers 8,000 miles from home, which faced a Communist insurgency.  Most of them were national servicemen rather than professional soldiers.  For many the experience had been life-changing.   Returning now, in their seventies and eighties, they found a modern, bustling city which was scarcely recognisable as the Kuala Lumpur they had known.  The only things they said they could recognise were the Royal Selangor Club and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building down on Dataran Merdeka.   The Twin Towers were a complete revelation!

It was wonderful chatting to the veterans and their families.  They told lovely stories of Batu Pahat and Kluang , where they were stationed, and Kota Tinggi, where they trained.  They were off to Cameron Highlands the next day to savour something of Malaysia’s tourist pleasures.   I doubt if there will be another tour in five years time, as many will simply be too old to travel.  But it was lovely to meet them and hear them say how their contribution to defeating the Insurgency all those years ago had been worthwhile.

Visit to Bario, Sarawak

One of the most fascinating books I have read since coming to Malaysia is "The World Within" by Tom Harrisson.  It tells of the year Harrisson spent in a long-house in Bario, recruiting the locals to rise up against the Japanese occupying forces, when the Allies landed.  Bario is the place where the renowned Bario rice is grown.  But where exactly is it?  I found out recently, when I spent a couple of days there in the course of a visit to Sarawak.  When I told a "Star" reporter about my impressions, he invited me to write them down, as he thought they might be of wider interest.  So here goes.

The first thing to note about Bario is that it is not served by any road.  So the only way to get there is on foot (a two month walk from Miri), by river (a couple of weeks up from Marudi) or by air.  I chose the last option and took an ancient, but very reliable Twin Otter (designed and built in Canada for bush flying) from Miri.  On check-in I was surprised to discover that not only my baggage had to be weighed, but also me.  This was so that they could judge how much weight was still available for cargo.  Because the rear half of the aircraft was stuffed with cardboard boxes bringing everything conceivable up to Bario.

READ MORE ABOUT MY BARIO VISIT HERE

Putrajaya by night

I have been in Putrajaya dozens of times over the last three years to call on Ministers and senior officials.  Some people have doubts about the whole concept and of course it is true that Putrajaya still  lacks a real buzz.  But I have always found the architecture impressive and the planning interesting.  The inclusion of a Botanical Garden, Wetlands Area and world-class water-sport facilities are long-sighted and potentially a real asset to the region.

So I was fascinated to learn that there was to be a Putrajaya Night Marathon.  My daughter and wife were both going to participate.  And I decided I would have a go too.  I didn’t have to run the full marathon (40km), nor even the half-marathon.  I was able to join in the fun-run over 7.7km. 

The event was on Sunday, with the different races each having separate start times.  The 7.7km race began at 9.00pm, but we arrived early to soak up some of the atmosphere.  It was great. Over 8,000 people had entered.  Everyone seemed determined to have a good time. And Putrajaya was lit up wonderfully.  The start was outside the Palace of Justice, directly opposite the new mosque.  Many of the buildings and all the bridges were lit up.  Beautiful!

I managed to complete my race in just under an hour.  This had been my target, so I was very pleased.  But actually it was more about taking part and soaking up the spirit of the occasion.  On future visits to Putrajaya, I will always remember the crowds, the lights....and my race number: M1877! 

A Call to 10:10 Challenge

Many of us in the High Commission feel strongly about climate change.  The UK government does too and the British Foreign Secretary is signing up to the 10:10 Challenge (www.1010uk.org) on 8 February as part of the UK’s global campaign to raise awareness of the urgent need to promote a low carbon, high growth economy. 

We already have in the High Commission a “Green Team”, led by a local expert, who have been working for the last few months on calculating and reducing our carbon footprint.  So it was an easy call for me to sign the High Commission up to the 10:10 challenge.

This means that we have set ourselves a target of reducing our carbon footprint in 2010 by 10% compared with 2009.  My “Green Team” tell me that the main areas to achieve cuts are on:

·   air conditioning - we have already raised the temperature and reduced the running hours

·   air travel – we will cut back on flights where we can and make more use of video-conferencing

·   fuel consumption – we have arranged for our drivers and all High Commission staff to be instructed on driving more efficiently and we are looking at how we can use our official vehicles more sparingly

·   paper usage – we are monitoring paper usage and have set a target of 10% reduction this year.

We are also inviting British businesses in Malaysia to join us and take up this challenge.  I very much hope Malaysian businesses, other organisations and indeed individuals who feel strongly about climate change will do the same. 

Football Fever

One of the first questions I was asked in my very first press conference in Malaysia was “Which EPL team do you support?”  - I worked out pretty quickly that Malaysians are crazy about football (watching it rather than playing it!).  It is an essential part of my daily browsing of the local press to read the football pages.  Otherwise I would get caught out regularly.  I remember one very senior Malaysian asking me well into last season: “What is the difference between Tottenham Hotspur and a triangle?”  The answer: “A triangle has three points!”   (Spurs are of course now in a much better position in the league!)

As pretty much every Malaysian knows, the World Cup is to be held in South Africa this summer.  I was fascinated to learn recently that the cup itself, known as the Jules Rimet Trophy, was going to be on display at Mid Valley Mall.  So I and some of my colleagues went along to see it for ourselves.  I decided to really get into the spirit of things by wearing the official England shirt and also took a scarf promoting England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

Even though we had arrived fairly early in the day, hundreds of Malaysian football fans were there.   Before we could get anywhere near the trophy, we wandered past lots of stalls and a stand by Rally International particularly caught my eye. They are a UK charity that brings young people out from Britain to undertake development work in Sabah.  Football training is one of the areas they work in, but their main focus is on helping with rural projects such as providing clean water.  They also work with Yayasan Sabah on environmental projects, such as the building of a rehabilitation centre for sun bears at Sepilok.

 

Walking further on, we came accross a fantastic 3-D film all about the history of the World Cup, with grainy footage of past finals.  Finally, we reached our goal.  Standing in front of us, in a glass case and heavily protected by security, was the World Cup!  Everyone had a chance to have a photo taken.  Mine was, of course, with my England bid scarf!  It was quite a treat to know that I was right beside the trophy that had been raised in victory by famous players like Bobby Moore (England), Franz Beckenbauer (Germany) and Zinedine Zidane (France) and Pele (Brazil).

The only time England won the World Cup was in 1966, when the tournament was played on home soil.  Bobby Moore (later “Sir Bobby”) was the captain and Geoff Hurst scored a memorable hat-trick.  One of my boyhood heroes, Bobby Charlton (now “Sir Bobby”) was one of the stars.  And I had a chance to meet him a few months ago, when he visited Kuala Lumpur with Manchester United.  What a pleasure that was!

I’ll be interested to see this summer how many Malaysians will be backing England to win the Cup.  I suspect quite a lot!!!