British High Commissioner-designate to Malaysia, HE Ailsa Terry
CMG, has arrived in Kuala Lumpur to take up her new posting at
the British High Commission.
Ms Terry arrives excited about the ever-growing UK-Malaysia
relationship. In particular, she hopes to strengthen bilateral
trade as the two countries are set to benefit from their first
ever Free Trade Agreement, through the Comprehensive and
Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) which
the UK signed up to last month.
The new British envoy will start her appointment as the British
High Commissioner-designate on 10 August 2023 and succeeds
Charles Hay MVO. She is expected to present her credentials to
His Majesty The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong later this month.
Ms Terry said:
I am thrilled to be in Malaysia, a beautiful and diverse country
with such a long standing and important relationship with the UK.
This is an exciting time for both the UK and Malaysia as we build
a modern partnership based around our many shared interests and I
have a brilliant team to work with.
Building on the strong connections between our people, and our
shared history and values as fellow Commonwealth members, I
believe there is huge potential for the UK and Malaysia to work
more closely together to boost our trade, education and tech
relationship, tackle the climate emergency and uphold the
international rules-based system. There is also opportunities to
strengthen our defence partnership including through the Five
Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).
Malaysia is a global biodiversity hotspot and our UK-Malaysia
Climate Partnership Memorandum of Understanding will enable us to
work more closely together. I also look forward to working with
Malaysia on important issues affecting regional security,
stability and prosperity especially during the Malaysian
chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025.
Before taking up the post of High Commissioner, Ms Terry was the
Director of the FCDO’s inaugural Sanctions Directorate from 2022
to 2023, which she established as part of the UK’s response to
Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Prior to that, she was the Foreign Affairs Sous-Sherpa and
Director in the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
(FCDO) for the UK’s Presidency of the G7 in 2021. She also worked
in the National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office which
supports the work of the UK National Security Council.
During her time in the British diplomatic service, she has been
posted to Islamabad and the UK Mission to the European Union (EU)
in Brussels. Ailsa was also the Political Adviser to the EU
Special Representative to Afghanistan in 2011.
Ms Terry is married to Adam Terry and they have twin sons. She
read English Literature (BA Hons) at Oxford University. In
her spare time Ailsa enjoys reading, cooking and spending time
outdoors with her family.
