Agong officiates opening ceremony of Battersea Power Station

LONDON: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah has officiated the opening ceremony of the Malaysian-owned Battersea Power Station in Central London, ahead of its public launch this Friday.

His Majesty was accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Almarhum Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj, along with the Malaysian High Commissioner, H.E. Datuk Zakri Jaafar.

Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah’s arrival at the Battersea Power Station were received by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) group chairman Tun Arifin Zakaria, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz; High Commissioner of Malaysia to the United Kingdom (UK) Datuk Zakri Jaafar; UK Minister for Investment, Dominic Johnson and UK Minister for Trade Policy, Greg Hands.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong officiated the opening of the Battersea Power Station by symbolically turning the power back on in Turbine Hall A -- which had laid dormant for over 40 years and will now house part of the Power Station’s retail offering.

He then unveiled a plaque commemorating the visit -- a permanent reminder of the strong ties between Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

Almost four decades after its closure, the restored Grade II* listed landmark opens to the public on Friday, Oct 14.

Once a coal-fired power station, it is now set to become one of London’s most exciting retail and leisure destinations.

Under the custodianship of its shareholders, Sime Darby Property, S P Setia and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) since 2012, the Grade II* listed iconic landmark has been restored to its former glory, and the wider area has been transformed into a vibrant community.

In 2019, Malaysia’s leading fund management companies, PNB and EPF became long-term commercial asset holders securing the future of the landmark for many generations to come.

High Commissioner of Malaysia to the UK, His Excellency Datuk Zakri Jaafar said the reopening of the Battersea Power Station is a testament of Malaysia’s capability in undertaking major development projects here in the UK.

"I am confident that we will see more of this endeavour in the future. I congratulate PNB, Sime Darby Property, S P Setia and EPF for all of their efforts in rehabilitating and redeveloping Battersea Power Station.

"This is an outstanding achievement and represents the close bilateral, economic and investment ties between Malaysia and the UK,” he said.

Chairman of Battersea Project Holding Company and senior independent non-executive director of Sime Darby Property, Datuk Jagan Sabapathy said through the enduring strength of the Malaysia-UK relationship and the extensive experience of the shareholders, the consortium has revitalised the London icon.

"Not only has a new destination been created from reviving a disused power station, but a thriving community has already been established since the opening of the first phase of the project, Circus West Village,” he said.

EPF chief executive officer Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the transformation of what was once a coal-fired power station into a holistic residential, retail and leisure destination that is also capable of supplying sustainable energy marked a very important milestone in London’s property development history.

"As a long-term institutional investor, we look forward to witnessing Battersea Power Station flourish as a sustainable community and business hub,” he said. - Bernama