Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he was informed Merdeka 118 would be the first tower in the country to receive triple platinum green ratings in international sustainability certification as well as the prestigious WELL certification.
(The WELL Building Standard takes a holistic approach to health in the built environment addressing behaviour, operations and design.)
“This makes Merdeka 118 the industry benchmark in Malaysia and as an iconic tower of the future,” he said at the Merdeka 118 tower spire completion ceremony here today.
Ismail said the construction of Merdeka 118 would also benefit Malaysians as it would be a new economic catalyst for Kuala Lumpur.
“It will complement other areas that are rapidly developing such as KLCC and KL Sentral.
“The development of Merdeka 118 will also provide opportunities to the local community, especially in nearby areas such as Petaling Street, Kampung Attap and Pudu, to generate income,” he said.
The prime minister said apart from offering opportunities for the local community to develop their business, the people could also hold programmes and activities to make the areas surrounding Merdeka 118 more attractive through the Merdeka 118 Community Grants Programme.
On the Merdeka 118 grants which were open for application from June 28 to Aug 20, 2021, he said that Malaysians were allowed to apply for three types of grants – sports, arts and business community – and this directly promoted the sharing of ideas to reactivate the community to create more socioeconomic growth opportunities.
Meanwhile, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) president and group CEO Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn said that Merdeka 118 was a development spanning 40 acres (16.2 hectares), half of which comprised Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara.
“Merdeka 118 has achieved 85% completion, and the tower floor installation has reached the 118th floor while the glass panel installation has reached the 114th floor.
“Despite facing many challenges due to the pandemic, I am proud to report that the tower and upgrading of the surrounding infrastructure is on track to be completed by end-2022,” he added.