PETALING JAYA: “Merdeka PNB 118, also known as KL 118 will soon clinch the title of the tallest skyscraper in Malaysia,” said PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Abdul Aziz Tengku Mahmud at the Malaysian Annual Real Estate Convention 2018 (MAREC’18). 

Taking over the title of the tallest skyscraper in Malaysia from the Petronas Twin Towers and The Exchange 106, the Merdeka PNB 118  is owned by Permodalan Nasional Bhd. Located in the vicinity of the Merdeka Stadium in Jalan Hang Jebat, Kuala Lumpur, it comprises 83 floors of offices and 17 floors of hotels as well as a conservation deck.

The Merdeka PNB 118 will also feature express lifts which will travel at 10 metres per second facing the KLCC side. Concerning accessibility, the building is linked to highways such as the DUKE 3 Expressway and Federal Highway. Nearby facilities at the site include a mall, podium, park and a 1,000-capacity theatre. The building is accessible via metro as well as the pedestrian walkways.

Aziz said building a modern iconic tower of this size requires a lot of planning as it poses various challenges. Due to the proximity of the Merdeka PNB 118 to nearby heritage attractions such as the KL Railway Station, National Mosque and Dataran Merdeka, the preservation of these landmarks need to be considered. This is especially true with the Merdeka Stadium and Stadium Negara that is located close to the site.

According to him, other challenges involved providing enough facilities for the 2,000 workers and the maintenance of an accident-free construction site. “Among others, we also need to prevent heating issues and ensure that the shadow of the tower does not fall beyond the site area,” said Aziz, adding that rainwater management is equally important.

He added that the tower, being an iconic landmark will spur other developments around the perimeter, injecting vibrancy into this part of Kuala Lumpur. In the following years, there will be a lot of regeneration projects to ensure that the whole area will be uplifted in terms of connectivity, design and accessibility.

“The site is considered to be at the fringe of the Central Business District (CBD).

“By the end of 2020, we hope to be able to extend the CBD across the southern part of Kuala Lumpur,” said Aziz.