Najib to arrive in London today for three-day working visit

LONDON: Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak will visit the iconic eight billion pounds Malaysian-owned Battersea Power Station (BPS) project here and officiate the Razak Science Centre at Malvern College in Worcestershire during his three-day working visit starting Saturday.
Malaysian High Commissioner to United Kingdom Datuk Ahmad Rashidi Hazizi said the prime minister was scheduled to arrive here at about 3 am Saturday (11 am Saturday Malaysian time).
Najib will arrive from Riyadh after attending the funeral of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia who passed away on Friday.
During Najib's visit to BPS project on Saturday, he would monitor the progress of the project at the 39-acre site especially on plans to develop the Malaysia Square, said Ahmad Rashidi.
The design for the square centres on a two-level urban canyon with integrated bridges and stairways that are inspired by Malaysia's landscape and geology where the spaces will be clad with limestone, granite, marble, sandstone, gravel and dolomite striations that will lead people through the square.
A fountain planned for the central amphitheatre is set to be designed in the shape of hibiscus – Malaysia's national flower.
Apart from offering a space for play, surrounded by water, each of the five 'petals' represents one principle each from the Rukunegara, Malaysia's founding philosophy which forms the bedrock of national unity in its multicultural society.
Malaysia Square at the BPS will link southern entrance of the restored Power Station and the top of the new Electric Boulevard high street.
The Malaysian consortium for the entire BPS's development comprises SP Setia Bhd, Sime Darby Bhd and Employees Provident Fund (EPF) with SP Setia and Sime Darby each holding 40% while EPF holds the rest.
The consortium bought the property of the former coal-fired power station in 2012 for 400 million pounds (RM2.2 billion).
The eight billion pounds (RM44 billion) project, Malaysia's biggest property venture oversea, spans seven phases until 2024 and will consist of nearly 4,000 homes, over 250 shops, cafes and restaurants, hotels and office space.
The first phase, costing 790 million pounds (RM4.3 billion), was launched in 2012 comprising more than 800 residential units and due for completion by middle of next year.
The second phase will commence March this year including restoration of the power station, residential units and commercial office spaces.
The third phase comprises 1,200 residential units designed by two world's renowned architects, retail space and restaurants and was launched late last year.
BPS has secured funding arrangement, totaling 1.35 billion pounds (RM7.4 billion), for both Phase 2 and Phase 3 projects.
Ahmad Rashidi said the BPS was very significant as it involved Malaysian companies as well as symbolizing the good relationship between the two governments as Malaysia had won the bid for the project as well as support from the British government in building the northern subway line to facilitate the project.
On Monday, Najib will walk down memory lane when he visits his former college – Malvern College at Worcestershire – to officiate the Razak Science Centre there.
The centre consists of 18 state-of-the-art laboratories, including a showcase laboratory and extra prep rooms.
"The centre is funded by a Malaysian who just wanted to be known as 'seorang hamba Allah'," said Ahmad Rashidi adding that the person also refused to disclose the amount of the fund.
Najib attended the college from 1968 until 1971. Datuk Johari, Najib's younger brother also attended the college in the late 60s and early 70s.
The college is a co-educational boarding and day school founded in 1865, one of the UK's leading independent schools.
"The college was so proud of the prime minister who was their former student and had given the honour for him to officiate the centre which was named after him (in British culture, Najib is known as Mr Razak then)," said Ahmad Rashidi. – Bernama