RM5bil Warisan Merdeka will be country’s new landmark

By The Star

THE Warisan Merdeka landmark, a RM5bil project located within the enclave of Merdeka Stadium and Stadium Negara, will change the city skyline.

Construction of the 100-storey skyscraper, which is part of the mega project, will start next year and is expected to be completed in 2015.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the two stadiums would be retained as national heritage buildings.

Real Estate and Housing Developers Association Malaysia said the plan to create the iconic feature must take into consideration demand for space.

“We recommend that the Government conduct feasibility and market studies in consultation with the private sector before embarking on this ambitious project,” its deputy president Datuk F.D. Iskandar Tan Sri Mohamed Mansor said in a press statement.

Architect Dr Tan Loke Mun said the building must be constructed with sustainability in mind.

“If we are going to give Malaysia the tallest building, we may as well make it the greenest building in the world. Additionally, local talents should be considered for job opportunities that will arise,” Dr Tan said.

Human resources manager Julian Sanjivan, 28, asked whether the project was aimed at competing with the Burj Khalifa in Dubai or to boost tourism and the construction industry.

“If they want to create more jobs, then we should welcome it. However, if it is just for the name, perhaps the money will be best used elsewhere,” he said.

Businessman Lo Yew Wai felt there wasn’t a need for such a development here.

He said there were many buildings left vacant after construction, adding that the status of having the tallest building in the country was not a good enough reason because it would be a waste of space and money.