KUCHING, Sept 5 — The United Kingdom (UK) is seeking to strengthen its presence in Sarawak as part of a broader strategic partner with Malaysia, focusing on sectors such as semiconductors, renewable energy and human capital development.
British High Commissioner to Malaysia Ajay Sharma said the partnership, agreed between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his British counterpart in January this year, aims to deepen cooperation nationwide, with Sarawak identified as a key focus.
“One of the things they agreed on was that we should have a strategic partnership between Malaysia and the UK.
“We want to strengthen and deepen our cooperation across a number of areas, and that includes Sarawak,” Sharma told The Borneo Post in an interview.
He outlined four priority areas of cooperation: advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, digitalisation and smart cities, and education and training.
On advanced manufacturing, Sharma highlighted the collaboration between Sarawak Microelectronics Design (SMD) and the UK’s Compound Semiconductors Applications Innovation Centre in Wales, which has produced a prototype known as KETEQ.AI.
“The KETEQ.AI is a type of power converter prototype capable of detecting, predicting, and correcting system errors in real time.
“I think it’s world-first technology and a really interesting example of our semiconductor collaboration with Sarawak,” he said.
On renewable energy, Sharma noted that British companies were already engaging in Sarawak’s green agenda, particularly in hydrogen development.
He cited Logan Energy, a Scottish company that has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysia’s H2 Energy to explore hydrogen projects in the state.
“They’re looking at how hydrogen can support communities, including off-grid communities, through electrification. It’s still at an early stage, but we’re very excited about the prospects,” he said, adding that Sarawak had the capacity to become a regional powerhouse.
“More generally on the green energy agenda, we think Sarawak has huge potential to become the battery of Asean. We want to work together on biofuels, hydro, and carbon capture and storage,” he added.
Sharma also revealed that the UK is contributing funding to an Asian Development Bank feasibility study on the proposed Sarawak-Singapore power interconnector, which he described as an important step in making Sarawak’s renewable energy accessible across the region.
On education, he said the UK was keen to expand collaboration in vocational training, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and English language programmes, as well as partnerships with universities.
He also pointed to cultural cooperation, citing the recent agreement between the Sarawak Museum Department and the British Museum.
“Visit Malaysia 2026 is a real opportunity to strengthen people-to-people links. I want British people to see that, to experience that,” he said, adding that the UK also plans to appoint an honorary consul in Sarawak to facilitate closer cooperation. — The Borneo Post
