BY TASHNY SUKUMARAN
New landmark: Najib admiring a model of Warisan Merdeka during the launch in Kuala Lumpur.
PETALING JAYA: There will be a new iconic landmark in Malaysia with the launch of Warisan Merdeka by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The mega-tower mixed development project, to be undertaken by Permodalan Nasional Berhad on a 19-acre land, is expected to be fully completed in 2024.
The 118-storey tower and shopping mall, with a gross development value of RM5bil, promises to be the new landmark in the city and the tallest tower in Malaysia at 630m, over 100m taller than the Petronas Twin Towers.
It will also be the second tallest tower in Asia and the fifth in the list of mega-tall buildings globally.
In his speech, Najib said iconic buildings helped to define a city as they made a compelling statement about its history, adding that Warisan Merdeka would complement and enhance the historically important sites of Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara, both of which are also owned by PNB.
“When someone mentions an iconic tower, what exactly does it mean?
“What makes a tower iconic? Is it the design? The shape? Or is it the history? In this case, it may be all of these things,” he said.
Najib said the new tower would also generate both primary and secondary economic spin-offs, adding to the federal capital’s attractiveness as an investment and tourism destination.
He also renamed the tower Merdeka PNB118.
Present at the launch was PNB chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid and its president and group chief executive Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman Hamad.
The building will hold a six-star luxury hotel with 236 rooms, a sky lobby and 82 floors of offices.
Ahmad Sarji said the project was expected to generate primary and secondary economic multiplier effects of approximately RM11bil.
“This project will create an additional 10,000 job opportunities,” he said.
Designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects from Melbourne, the building will also be the first in Malaysia to satisfy the triple green building platinum index accreditations locally and internationally – the Green Building Index, GreenRe and the Leadership and Energy and Environmental Design.
The mall is expected to hold over 200 stores and a 12-screen cinema.
