The former prime minister said the dispute and eviction of the skyscraper’s previous operator, Menara Kuala Lumpur Sdn Bhd, came as a shock to him. He said the eviction of the company resulted in a negative public perception of the government.

“Therefore, I urge the government to be transparent and state the truth about the issue of the transfer of the KL Tower concession. It cannot be perceived as only defending one party.

“It is unjustified for the government to have no consideration for a Bumiputera company that has managed KL Tower for years with a good track record,” the Bersatu president said in a statement.

The communications ministry has stated that the previous contract to manage KL Tower had expired on March 31, and a new 20-year concession had been awarded in May last year to LSH Service Master Sdn Bhd, a firm controlled by construction and engineering company Lim Seong Hai Capital Bhd.

While LSH Service Master was supposed to take over the tower’s management on April 1, a stand-off occurred after MKLSB and its parent company Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd initiated a lawsuit against the award of the concession, alleging contractual breaches and misconduct.

However, the High Court dismissed the attempt to prevent LSH Service Master from taking over, resulting in Hydroshoppe and MKLSB insisting on continuing to operate the tower.

Putrajaya later ordered the temporary closure of the tower, saying its previous operator had been operating without government authorisation and ignored two eviction notices issued by the federal lands commissioner.

KL Tower, located at Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur, is a 421-metre-tall (1,381-foot) telecommunications tower with a revolving restaurant and a public viewing gallery.