Only been to KL twice, tower or no tower it's a very underrated city. The entire country of Malaysia is great, there is islands as pretty as Thailand's and cheaper to boot. Cities that are clean and modern, despite what some think, KL is far better than somewhere like LA.
Malaysia is just underrated in general, despite being one of the most visited country in the world. People just dont talk abt them enough, they're good but not too good, they're not bad either so there's not much negative attention. It's just there i guess, a very liveable place.
It's not about to waste money. Many people won't understand the reason. It's started when PNB wants to gather all it's subsidiaries to be in one area nearby. But it'll require many buildings & square feets plus cost of buying land, travel time/cost, etc. So they've decided to put em all in one building. For other business purposes, they also add some offices for rental (phase 1). But then they got so many companies interested to get in. So they add another offices for rental (phase 2). Later on Hyatt hotel companies interested to join em. So the building is getting higher and reaching 500m ++. Ended up when someone came in said why not we just add up to 600m ++? We're just so close to be world's second tallest building. Finally, there you have it. A beautiful number 678.9m
Yeah, a very convincing statement. I visited there once, it's barely finished. That money-wasting project is the epitome of the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover'
I live a 1/2 a mile away from the Merdeka. I can see it clearly from my condo from many rooms. I can tell you it doesn't light up every night because it isn't open yet. Now and then they check the lights at night, but it's rare they are on for more than 15 minutes. Being from America, this city's infrastructure is better than more than half of the US's major cities. Could it be better? Sure. But it's a great place to live.
I'm born in KL and actually hate KL because of too many cars infrastructure and congestion. I hope we can build trams with pedestrian walks like in Melbourne covering major attraction areas in our city such as in the golden triangle. Those places are areas where cars need to be banned permanently.
Merdeka 118 is arguably better as a finished project than be left as an unfinished one. It was subject to much controversy even back then, but it was just too late to stop construction by the time Najib was dethroned, so the best the following government could do was give it a different name and allow it to proceed. In Najib’s defense though, he did initiate a lot of public transportation and logistics-related projects in his time. A lot of them were supposed to join in with Merdeka’s project, like HSR's supposed terminal station in TRX, and MRT Circle Line to connect all 3 projects while decentralizing a lot of public transport in the Klang Valley. It is reasonable to argue that these projects were forward-thinking enough at the time, but the next government decided that cars were better than buses and rails and hence axed and reduced the scope of much of the public transportation projects.
@@crowmob-yo6ry We indeed are. It's normal to own 2-4 vehicles per household in the Klang Valley region, and not owning any motorized personal transportation outside of Klang Valley is more or less a death sentence. Overall vehicle ownership nationwide stands at around 1.1 personal vehicle (car/motorbike) per citizen. We have more vehicles than we do people!
& then at the same time, Malaysian query why there's so much traffic jam here & there in Klang Valley. Well, let them be, let them taste their own medicine.
As a someone who studied in Malaysia wish to say, they are really nice and friendly people beautiful country and thaniah to Malaysia for what they have achieved wish you continuous success, love from Egypt.
As a Malaysian and also an engineer working in construction and some interest in property, KL has a lot of property overhang (empty buildings) and doesn't lack in office and commercial buildings, lots of foreign companies exited Malaysia during the political uncertainty the past few years, leaving many offices empty. So unless Malaysia gets a lot of foreign investment, lots more buildings remain vacant in the near foreseeable future, so the billions spent could have helped a lot more citizens instead.
You should also look at the Tun Razak Exchange in Kuala Lumpur for a video. It is only a 20 minute walk from the city but is a huge mega project to build a city within a city. It has been created as a financial district with the plan to rival Singapore as the financial capital of SE Asia. Some of the area is already open.
Malaysia learn from spill over impact from KLCC Project...previously the area has nothing...now the area and the property value there worth hundred of billion dollar....so Merdeka is not just a second tallest building in the world but also an investment for Malaysia..afterall literally it was not built and funded by government.
As an American, I want to travel and stay there. Not just because of the height, rather I want to ride on their bicycle velodromes. Those kids are wicked fast
As a Malaysian, you dove into the history, the building itself and also the opinions of the citizens. Everything is accurate, well done. Small correction, buildings and towers are in different category rankings. Tallest tower in the world would be the Tokyo Skytree.
FYI, merdeka 118 was not financed by gov funding. It never disrupted building of schools and hospitals. Our medical care is still some of the best in the world if not the best. The owner of merdeka 118 used sukuk Islamic financing to build it. Not from gov pockets.
It's a lesson learned for all. We need to strike a balance between infrastructure development and human development. On one side, we should take advantage of the infrastructure that is already up and going. On the other hand, moving forward, we should think about the welfare of the people first, and improve our livelihood, not just the national GDP. It's good to have something to be proud of, but pride alone doesn't put food on the table.
Agreed! A wealthy country must be able to show case it's people who can partake in the economic cake. Or at least see the B40 among the people that's not too left out 😮!
Its PNB's project and majority of its investors were B40.. The success of this venture means more dividen they can distribute.. He's mistaken to think that its using public fund to build PNB 118, hence he talking rubbish about the priorities of development of education, health care etc...
1:35 - Chapter 1 - Building a crown jewel 2:15 - Mid roll ads 3:20 - Back to the video 6:10 - Chapter 2 - Meet merdeka 8:35 - Chapter 3 - The bad & the good
I used to work in Thailand and travelled Malaysia extentiavly on my visa runs, it is a beautiful country and KL is a power house on many levels, granted there are infrastructure problems that neds to be addressed, but with the flagging out of Chinese manufacturing to other SE Asia countries, like Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia, this will only underscore Malaysian importance in the region, i have not yet met a Malaysian, that was sour on the project, btw if you have the time on a Holliday, check out KL, it is a beautiful city rich kn culture and food
@@stmpo5595nop..before this that is no goverment money involved..PNB money help goverment funding goverment project by loan their (PNB)money to goverment in very low interest..
So far since the completion and the opening of the tower, Merdeka 118 has been met with either "Meh", excitement or no responses which is better than the reception throughout its construction. So, take that as you will.
11:06 this is true to average Malaysian because there are parts of this country where students and teachers had to trail jungle and river for hours on foot just to go to school. Or climb trees to get better internet connection to attend online classes.
at the beginning of the construction of the Petronas Twin Towers, many people argued... but look now, it plays a big role in our econamy and tourism... invest boldly is the key.
Thing is, there were none skyscrapers in Malaysia before Petronas Twin Towers. KL grows rapidly since then which the M118 aren't consider a spectacle since it does have generic modern design nowadays. It will not held the same prestige as The Petronas Twin Towers.
@@Zim___ different buildings, different functions... Of course, KLCC is still the most beautiful building, unique and ageless. but for me M118 still has its own touch that attracts visitors. after all, it has not been fully completed, including the buildings and facilities around it.
It looks ugly before they build it. It looks ugly stupid now that they've built it. Line all top3 tallest tower next to each other and merdeka 118 is the tallest kid in class because the teacher count his spiked hair as his full height. An embarrassment to even claim as '2nd tallest dick tower in the world'
I’m surprised you did a video of this. But you haven’t done one on our SMART Tunnel, since I brought it up a number of times since this channel came up. It’s worth looking into that tunnel, because it’s still one of its kind that doubles a storm drain tunnel and a road tunnel under Kuala Lumpur that helps temporarily store excess flood waters as well as a sort of a channel for the waters to be released out of the city further downstream. But here’s a weird fun fact. From the wrong angle of viewing this tower, it looks like the tower is flipping a bird on those who gazed upon it.
I am from Malaysia and the final part of the video is spot on..we already voice out that we don't need another tower but they still build it..on the bright side the former leader that build the tower is in jail right now..
Welp, my father even joked it as the former Prime Minister Najib's dxck. For your information, during the building's construction in Najib's tenure, it already sparked controversy alonside another skyscrapper Tun Razak Exchange and other projects initiated by Najib due to his corruption schemes. On the bright side, Najib is currently jailed for his corruption probe, although there are still many cases haven't being solved yet.
Burj Khalifa spire 796 ft (242.5 m) UAE Merdeka 118 spire 520 ft (160 m) MALAYSIA The Clock Towers Spire 495.407 ft (151 m) SAUDI ARABIA One WTC spire 407.9 ft (124.3 m) USA Taipei 101 spire 230.315 ft (70.2 m) TAIWAN Just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they don't have one. If so then the Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in the world.
exactly. Everyone is complaining that the 118 has a long spire and is cheating. Like wtf? Why don't we see anyone complaining about the Burj? People don't do research lol.
i wish everybody read this comment, it's so true, burj khalifa has taller spire and no one talk about it, but fyi shanghai tower has what it call as crown, just like spire but fatter and blend with the building, it also hollow in the inside
Please do video about The Exchange TRX, it is now the second tallest in KL after Merdeka 118. It is a huge hit among people for its massive malls underneath.The Petronas is now just the third tallest.
Ngl as a local here in KL,that tower is such an eyesore especially the reflection from the biggest mirror in town affecting thousands of commuters driving towards the city every single day! I prefer the KLCC twin towers than that crap.
Yes... I thought it was ugly when I visited KL back then... It was still under construction at the time. Now, I still think it is. I find it quite plain looking. Please don't get offended. It's an OPINION.
Sadly this is not something that had the effect the Malaysian had hoped. The Petronas Towers were well known and are still an internationally recognised icon. This didn't happen with Merdeka 118.
My Malaysian friends didn't even have the M118 in mind... Sure they knew about it despite barely making any headlines at all but it's just something they put in the back of their minds and forget about it lol
It's a cheaty tower if you ask me. Roof heights and even highest occupied floor heights are a much more accurate representation of a tower's height than an a mere architectural detail. Especially when if you took it off the tower would look especially the same... Tis no Empire State Building Spire, English!;-)
burj khalifa have spire also but just like it part of useful building. also merdeka 118 having sewarage system not transport by trucks.thats plus. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 like it or not its already finish just appreciate it. now tower m in progress, maybe will exceed this one.crazy
I'm a Malaysian, and it's hard to overlook the negative side of this project, but as an engineer myself, I always look at this project as an engineering marvel
I've heard of it, but then again I'm Malaysian and I'm living near Kuala Lumpur so... It's kinda hard to miss that tower. Thanks for covering about our country. Sir, if it is okay, please be a bit more formal when covering for our Monarch & it is not accurate to quote him and relate to the disagreements of some Malaysians. The concerns are valid and I would be considered amongst them, but it even the Malaysians that disagrees would take a photo of it and have some pride in it. Our monarch like the tower while it has its critics have become one of the reason for Malaysians to be united regardless.
Malaysia GDP per capita (PPP) is $37,000 in 2023. It is not that far off from countries like Germany, Japan and South Korea. In 10 years, it will be more than $50,000, very likely among the top 5 highest in Asia Pacific.
With current political crisis or whatever, it will still be achieved due to the fact the the business world has clearly distinguished itself from politics over the last decade.
To put things into perspective, it just means the country is doing reasonably well BUT the people aren't doing too well. It's a struggle to live well in KL JB or Penang with salaries that doesn't increase in tandem with the cost of living! So it's cheap for tourists, not quite so for locals 😅
@@bukitkatilmpdoesnt matter for me even u change multiple times its also about the mentality of people. Mostly against development coz they scared foreigner investor took their land. Which not even their land to begin with its gov 😂 . Plus racism is scary…. Not only malay. Minority also racist 1 its all race are racist this what i see that only really an issue.
Merdeka 118: So tall, it tickles clouds! But seriously, this Malaysian marvel is eco-friendly enough to make even Greta Thunberg smile. Rainwater harvesting? Check. Public transport access? Nailed it. Now if it could just dispense teh tarik on demand, we'd be golden. #Malaysia #SustainableGoals #Merdeka118
As a Malaysian, i wouldnt call merdeka tower a “Crown Jewel” that honor still belongs to petronas twin tower. When it was first build a lot of us hated it😂.
@@multifaceteduser3405u dont count but the officials count it. So no matter ur opinion. Keep it to yourself. The world are not following ur wants.U are nobody. 😂😂
As a Malaysian i feel proud to be a citizen of this beautiful land i call home but i must say the political side of Malaysia is a side that even malaysians either love or hate a lot
The complaints about this building can be broadly applied to a lot of super-tall buildings: whether funded by a government or private money, they are built to benefit the super-rich and ignore everyone else. It is deeply frustrating when your country or city has infrastructure problems, and your politicians spend the money on vanity projects instead (I can relate).
As an ordinary Malaysian that follows your channel. Thanks for sharing the good and bad. We can only hope that it'll bring in good economic growth in due time 😅
I legitimately believe that skyscrapers should not be built unless the firms behind it can ensure greater than 90% lease occupancy within the first two years after completion. There are a lot of sparsely populated skyscrapers around the world despite there being housing crises basically everywhere.
Someone should build a 20 storey building and slap a Warsaw Radio Mast on top of it and be like, "There. Our building is taller!" :) Also, I dunno, Merdeka 118 kind of looks like a deformed walkie-talkie with that antenna er spire on top of it.
Spire and antenna is 2 different things. The spire is liveable and also had observation deck people can go up to. Thats why spire are counted as towers height while antenna dont. Sigh 😪
It supposed to mimic the first prime minister of Malaysia raising his hand to Proclaim Malaysia’s indipendence from the Brits. There is one famous picture of him raising his hand with his chest held high with pride. The similarities on the building is arguable but thats why it looks like that.
There is a reason why despite Singapore's world class infrastructure and public facilities we never had a skyscraper quite like the Merdeka, yes there is a good reason for that.
As a Malaysian living in the southern part of Johor state, our state's taxpayers contribute approximately 11 billion ringgit to the federal government annually. However, we only receive around 1 to 2 billion ringgit each year for the development of our Johor state. Instead, the majority of Malaysian taxpayers' money is focused on the capital city. My sentiment is just like, Are you fucking kidding me right now?
Please read a lot..PNB is not goverment fund..private fund..Nothing to do to your tax payer..PNB maked money..give low rate loan interest to goverment to pump project in Malaysia... including johor..So you to read .. fact...
RM1b to RM2b are big numbers and you can do so much with that amount! I heard when Johor joined the federation it was so poor and since then it has grown to where it is now because federal government helped managed and redistributed money from richer states to poor state like Johor so that it can develop its infrastructures like power grid and clean water supply which is vital for economic development. Despite having grow to where it is today, you still grumble and shown your greediness. That's not how it works: When you 're part of a federation you agreed to surrender your sovereignty thus part of your rights to certain things like immigration, education, laws etc. On another note, Merdeka 118 was financed partly by bonds and partly by investors like me. Mind you I'm no billionaire nor a milillionnaire but I have investment in their unit trust, Merdeka 118 is an investment which will house offices, malls, condos and hotel. All retained revenue (after paying up for the loan with interest) from rent and lease will go back to ME! So, basically I own a piece of that building. By the way, the Sultan of Johor is worth more than USD5b (and I mean US DOLLAR) so convert that to MYR it becomes RM24b.
A small nation with a small population with a even small number of people who are middle class and above, we have 175 malls within the klang valley and ridiculous amount of sky scrapers and condominiums. Not to mention a new one coming call Tradewind Square that is going to be 750+m tall.
Malaysia is not a small nation, Malaysia is actually moderate in size comparable to Vietnam or japan. Our population is not small either just nice not overpopulated like vietnam. But I agree with too many malls and condominiums.
unfortunately no. to be classed as a building, at least 50% of the total hight has to be usable floor space. else it'll be classed as a tower, not a building
@@twillightrunnerthat company is a GLC. They are managing your ASB. Don't be fool to think that there is no political decision involved in building this tower.
In 2022, a viral began circulating online when a group of American individuals trespassed towards the top Merdeka 118, prompting criticism of the lack of security measures at the site.
PNB still need to diversify their investment more though a , mix used project always a lucarative return in southeast asia especially if it got a shopping mall. They also the biggest investor of battersea project in London almost the same amount of investment .why no noise about that.
Funny how Merdeka 118 is meant to resemble a raised hand....my friends and i just call it "da ge da" (old cellular phone) bcoz it literally looks like one
@@hammerfall6666 you know, I can see that. Especially if money or kick backs on taxes that could have been used for the area were not collected and then you get to suffer bad roads. Or, it’s just good for the angry traffic jam soul to be able to throw your anger at it rather then your shoe at the driver who may have just cut you off :)
Not sure how you could have gotten the public opening dates so wrong ! After all some of your points were rather spot on valid - ie. calling a spade , a spade, when it comes to one of the priciest expenditure decision by government of the day, and the need for public access (transparency) to the on board tabling of full feasibility study and ROI justification considering opportunity costs of the multi billion project prior to decision to execute the said colossal project. Target Opening schedule: “Merdeka 118 Tower which is 678.9 meters high is the tallest tower in Southeast Asia and the second tallest globally among its key features include the Masjid Al-Sultan Abdullah that is now open to the public, Merdeka Boulevard at 118 Park - Completion in Q2 2024, Stadium Merdeka - Opens in Q2 2024, Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur - Opens in Q3 2024, The View at 118 Observation Deck - Opens in Q4 2024 and 118 Mall - Opens in Q3 2025” From Business Today.
Why some malaysian upset is because the idea came from Daddy Kleptocat Jibbyfields. For me, after Najibby sentenced to prison, the project progress much faster and smoother, i bet those whom got the job are afraid to do corupption as the big klepto bos already in jail.
Merdeka owned by Malaysian owned Sovereign Fund entity The PNB. It is an investment corporation. Bettersea Power Station is owned by the corporation. Instead spending money outside the country, it is better for them spending billion usd here. And also Why do they need to spend their money for education and healthcare? Malaysian has its own ministry for education and healthcare to take all of these.
They call it 'Vanity Height' ... have the same thing down in Australia. The tallest building (Q1) has a 20 storey spike on it. The 'second' tallest building actually has 22 more usable floors than Q1. When put side by side, it looks odd that Q1 is 'technically' taller ...
You want men to build big things without a phallic enhancement? Just got back from the meeting, and having discussed it at great length we’ve arrived at an answer. No.
Correction..Merdeka 118 is not funded by the government..but it was privately funded by a fund management group of PNB...which will provide with a long terms profitable dividends to its ordinary Malaysian shareholders..
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That’s my contury! Malaysia!
Only been to KL twice, tower or no tower it's a very underrated city.
The entire country of Malaysia is great, there is islands as pretty as Thailand's and cheaper to boot. Cities that are clean and modern, despite what some think, KL is far better than somewhere like LA.
Well said. I am from the UK but I live in KL. I love the city and country
Any problems from the Muslims there?
Malaysia is just underrated in general, despite being one of the most visited country in the world. People just dont talk abt them enough, they're good but not too good, they're not bad either so there's not much negative attention.
It's just there i guess, a very liveable place.
i hope it remain underrated, we don't want many tourists around
@@thewaywardcyclist3992 I was gonna say. Dont want tourists adding to the crowd and driving up prices
It's not about to waste money. Many people won't understand the reason. It's started when PNB wants to gather all it's subsidiaries to be in one area nearby. But it'll require many buildings & square feets plus cost of buying land, travel time/cost, etc.
So they've decided to put em all in one building. For other business purposes, they also add some offices for rental (phase 1). But then they got so many companies interested to get in. So they add another offices for rental (phase 2). Later on Hyatt hotel companies interested to join em. So the building is getting higher and reaching 500m ++. Ended up when someone came in said why not we just add up to 600m ++? We're just so close to be world's second tallest building. Finally, there you have it. A beautiful number 678.9m
Yeah, a very convincing statement. I visited there once, it's barely finished. That money-wasting project is the epitome of the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover'
I live a 1/2 a mile away from the Merdeka. I can see it clearly from my condo from many rooms. I can tell you it doesn't light up every night because it isn't open yet. Now and then they check the lights at night, but it's rare they are on for more than 15 minutes. Being from America, this city's infrastructure is better than more than half of the US's major cities. Could it be better? Sure. But it's a great place to live.
Great place to live for you man. But for average malaysian it's nowhere near that
It opens in September 2024 I think, at least park hyatt. The observation deck in Dec 2024.
@@Ali_art I can only compare apples to apples. Just know that Malaysia is a wonderful country.
@@Ali_artorang tempatan memang sentiasa rasa tempat dia tak bagus…biasalah tu…tabiat manusia susah nak bersyukur.
I'm born in KL and actually hate KL because of too many cars infrastructure and congestion. I hope we can build trams with pedestrian walks like in Melbourne covering major attraction areas in our city such as in the golden triangle. Those places are areas where cars need to be banned permanently.
Merdeka 118 is arguably better as a finished project than be left as an unfinished one. It was subject to much controversy even back then, but it was just too late to stop construction by the time Najib was dethroned, so the best the following government could do was give it a different name and allow it to proceed.
In Najib’s defense though, he did initiate a lot of public transportation and logistics-related projects in his time. A lot of them were supposed to join in with Merdeka’s project, like HSR's supposed terminal station in TRX, and MRT Circle Line to connect all 3 projects while decentralizing a lot of public transport in the Klang Valley.
It is reasonable to argue that these projects were forward-thinking enough at the time, but the next government decided that cars were better than buses and rails and hence axed and reduced the scope of much of the public transportation projects.
Malaysia sounds frighteningly car-dependent, almost rivalling some parts of the USA.
@@crowmob-yo6ry We indeed are. It's normal to own 2-4 vehicles per household in the Klang Valley region, and not owning any motorized personal transportation outside of Klang Valley is more or less a death sentence.
Overall vehicle ownership nationwide stands at around 1.1 personal vehicle (car/motorbike) per citizen. We have more vehicles than we do people!
@@crowmob-yo6ry I'm Malaysian , I'm own 2 bike ( superbike & moped 150cc ) also got one sedan car 🚗 & mpv ,
& then at the same time, Malaysian query why there's so much traffic jam here & there in Klang Valley. Well, let them be, let them taste their own medicine.
Aren't you confusing it with TRX?
As a someone who studied in Malaysia wish to say, they are really nice and friendly people beautiful country and thaniah to Malaysia for what they have achieved wish you continuous success, love from Egypt.
As a Malaysian and also an engineer working in construction and some interest in property, KL has a lot of property overhang (empty buildings) and doesn't lack in office and commercial buildings, lots of foreign companies exited Malaysia during the political uncertainty the past few years, leaving many offices empty. So unless Malaysia gets a lot of foreign investment, lots more buildings remain vacant in the near foreseeable future, so the billions spent could have helped a lot more citizens instead.
You should also look at the Tun Razak Exchange in Kuala Lumpur for a video. It is only a 20 minute walk from the city but is a huge mega project to build a city within a city. It has been created as a financial district with the plan to rival Singapore as the financial capital of SE Asia. Some of the area is already open.
Malaysia learn from spill over impact from KLCC Project...previously the area has nothing...now the area and the property value there worth hundred of billion dollar....so Merdeka is not just a second tallest building in the world but also an investment for Malaysia..afterall literally it was not built and funded by government.
As an American, I want to travel and stay there. Not just because of the height, rather I want to ride on their bicycle velodromes. Those kids are wicked fast
Then you must be familiar with our very own "Pocket Rocketman", Azizulhasni Awang
@@acousticasoul5077 thanks for the info. Someday i might take a visit over that place's velodrome
@@acousticasoul5077when you do get in, Please take pictures and share them online so we can see them when googling the tracks!
wait until u meet supermoan on the road😂im pretty sure u will be shocked how they handle the motorcycle on the road😂
We call them (Mat Rempit) here
1:33 building a crown jewel
3:19 end of sponsorship
6:05 meet merdeka
8:30 the bad and the good
Doing the lord's work!
Thank you. 😊
As a Malaysian, you dove into the history, the building itself and also the opinions of the citizens. Everything is accurate, well done. Small correction, buildings and towers are in different category rankings. Tallest tower in the world would be the Tokyo Skytree.
FYI, merdeka 118 was not financed by gov funding. It never disrupted building of schools and hospitals. Our medical care is still some of the best in the world if not the best.
The owner of merdeka 118 used sukuk Islamic financing to build it. Not from gov pockets.
*Private medical care* such as Sunway medical
Ironically, offer shop lots to foreign brands. Waste of money then
This is why western media are often lambasted. Because they cover stories without doing proper research before hand.
Come on man, there are tons of local brand shops in Malaysia. Malaysia is a lot more successful these days than most of Europe and the Americas.
Often western people assume anything built outside the west is built by governments at the expense of its citizens 😂
Kuala Lumpur & Malaysia are really impressive❤❤❤❤❤❤😊
Kuala Lumpur is a city in Malaysia bruv
I am confused with your comment
We are but we deserve better than this
KL and Selangor are the only impressive parts of the country imo
the rest of the states are either left underfunded and rarely gets developed
@@StigmaKRL how about Putra Jaya and Johor
@@StigmaKRLJb be like: I gotta look good for the Singaporeans
It's a lesson learned for all. We need to strike a balance between infrastructure development and human development. On one side, we should take advantage of the infrastructure that is already up and going. On the other hand, moving forward, we should think about the welfare of the people first, and improve our livelihood, not just the national GDP. It's good to have something to be proud of, but pride alone doesn't put food on the table.
😢
Totally agree with your statement .
Sad but it's the truth. One thing to know is big chunk of money flow out from malaysia by foreign labors sending it to their homeland
Agreed! A wealthy country must be able to show case it's people who can partake in the economic cake. Or at least see the B40 among the people that's not too left out 😮!
Its PNB's project and majority of its investors were B40.. The success of this venture means more dividen they can distribute.. He's mistaken to think that its using public fund to build PNB 118, hence he talking rubbish about the priorities of development of education, health care etc...
1:35 - Chapter 1 - Building a crown jewel
2:15 - Mid roll ads
3:20 - Back to the video
6:10 - Chapter 2 - Meet merdeka
8:35 - Chapter 3 - The bad & the good
I used to work in Thailand and travelled Malaysia extentiavly on my visa runs, it is a beautiful country and KL is a power house on many levels, granted there are infrastructure problems that neds to be addressed, but with the flagging out of Chinese manufacturing to other SE Asia countries, like Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia, this will only underscore Malaysian importance in the region, i have not yet met a Malaysian, that was sour on the project, btw if you have the time on a Holliday, check out KL, it is a beautiful city rich kn culture and food
Merdeka 118 owner is PNB.. no 1 Biggest Funding Investment in Malaysia..Separatly goverment control,but money not from goverment.
When they are in financial trouble, govt will step in using your tax money
@@stmpo5595nop..before this that is no goverment money involved..PNB money help goverment funding goverment project by loan their (PNB)money to goverment in very low interest..
@@stmpo5595don't makes nonsense statement. They will definitely makes money. PNB maa
@@stmpo5595 I own PNB and I'm just an average working class joe. So, Merdeka 118 is basically mine!
@@stmpo5595And when government is in trouble, these GLC companies are forced to bailed the government out
I remember reading about this years ago in a pop-sci magazine. Alongside the Burj Khalifa no less.
So far since the completion and the opening of the tower, Merdeka 118 has been met with either "Meh", excitement or no responses which is better than the reception throughout its construction. So, take that as you will.
Always happy to see another upload of yours Simon, I learn so much watching your videos.
11:06 this is true to average Malaysian because there are parts of this country where students and teachers had to trail jungle and river for hours on foot just to go to school.
Or climb trees to get better internet connection to attend online classes.
The dislike of it reminds me of the Eifel tower when it went up
at the beginning of the construction of the Petronas Twin Towers, many people argued... but look now, it plays a big role in our econamy and tourism... invest boldly is the key.
Thing is, there were none skyscrapers in Malaysia before Petronas Twin Towers. KL grows rapidly since then which the M118 aren't consider a spectacle since it does have generic modern design nowadays. It will not held the same prestige as The Petronas Twin Towers.
@@Zim___ different buildings, different functions... Of course, KLCC is still the most beautiful building, unique and ageless. but for me M118 still has its own touch that attracts visitors. after all, it has not been fully completed, including the buildings and facilities around it.
It looks ugly before they build it. It looks ugly stupid now that they've built it. Line all top3 tallest tower next to each other and merdeka 118 is the tallest kid in class because the teacher count his spiked hair as his full height.
An embarrassment to even claim as '2nd tallest dick tower in the world'
The building is ugly, wth. I physically can't be close to it, it feels like it's going to crush me. Cyberpunk theme all over it..
@@WiseWik okay
I was in Kuala Lumpur recently and I was wondering what that building was
I’m surprised you did a video of this. But you haven’t done one on our SMART Tunnel, since I brought it up a number of times since this channel came up. It’s worth looking into that tunnel, because it’s still one of its kind that doubles a storm drain tunnel and a road tunnel under Kuala Lumpur that helps temporarily store excess flood waters as well as a sort of a channel for the waters to be released out of the city further downstream.
But here’s a weird fun fact. From the wrong angle of viewing this tower, it looks like the tower is flipping a bird on those who gazed upon it.
Excellent video, that goes beyond the excitement of just the building itself. Properly addresses the downside of Malaysia’s issues. Well done.
not even 2 and a half minutes in and ive already decided i want to live there. that is a really freaking neat building. I love the angular design.
I am from Malaysia and the final part of the video is spot on..we already voice out that we don't need another tower but they still build it..on the bright side the former leader that build the tower is in jail right now..
they don't care buddy, they only care for the wealth for themselves
Its a project by private company. Bkn projek kerajaan. Diorg nak buat ofis
@@nouraaz27it is a GLC. There is always political influence on the decision.
@@nouraaz27 yeah right, all you're doing is making excuses for the 1% to waste money.
Not for long lol
Let's be honest Simon, if I haven't heard of it, it's because you haven't done a video on it until now. That's on you.
😂
I'm pretty sure that if you view the main tower from a certain angle it looks like a giant middle finger.
Trust me it does, especially from the highway I take going to work everyday 🥲
😂😂
Klangvalley middle finger
Yeah and because of the glasses reflecting sunlight, it’s a giant glowing middle finger
Welp, my father even joked it as the former Prime Minister Najib's dxck. For your information, during the building's construction in Najib's tenure, it already sparked controversy alonside another skyscrapper Tun Razak Exchange and other projects initiated by Najib due to his corruption schemes. On the bright side, Najib is currently jailed for his corruption probe, although there are still many cases haven't being solved yet.
The building is fully completed, only the mall is expected to be completed in 2024 and the entire area around 2025
Burj Khalifa spire 796 ft (242.5 m) UAE
Merdeka 118 spire 520 ft (160 m) MALAYSIA
The Clock Towers Spire 495.407 ft (151 m) SAUDI ARABIA
One WTC spire 407.9 ft (124.3 m) USA
Taipei 101 spire 230.315 ft (70.2 m) TAIWAN
Just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they don't have one. If so then the Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in the world.
exactly. Everyone is complaining that the 118 has a long spire and is cheating. Like wtf? Why don't we see anyone complaining about the Burj? People don't do research lol.
i wish everybody read this comment, it's so true, burj khalifa has taller spire and no one talk about it, but fyi shanghai tower has what it call as crown, just like spire but fatter and blend with the building, it also hollow in the inside
THIS!
People always talk about the Independence 118 having big spire to achieve that height while other buildings like the Burj Khalifa have taller spire
It is because the spires of other buildings are not as obvious as Merdeka 118
i love when you said kuala Lumpur correctly..
Please do video about The Exchange TRX, it is now the second tallest in KL after Merdeka 118. It is a huge hit among people for its massive malls underneath.The Petronas is now just the third tallest.
No one gives a damn about TRX, it is so ordinary looking and still empty. I would rather people talk about KL tower or KLCC than TRX
@@booaks2980 I aam actually givijng a damn and also many of those who are into civil engineering.
Please come to India so beautiful country got food so so clean 😊 please come
Fark TRX the mall is so shoddy
@@booaks2980 wrong. Its a huge deal. It's gonna be the centre of malaysia finance hub and a beacon for the nation integrating into service economy.
@2:04 low food prices is not true. It may be low for foreigners as MYR is declining sharply. Living costs is very high for our local perspective.
Compared for our average wage, food prices are average or slightly above, but for American standard,it's so cheap lol
It's low even for Malaysian standards, unless you always go for expensive foods then of course it will be expensive
Ngl as a local here in KL,that tower is such an eyesore especially the reflection from the biggest mirror in town affecting thousands of commuters driving towards the city every single day! I prefer the KLCC twin towers than that crap.
Yes... I thought it was ugly when I visited KL back then... It was still under construction at the time. Now, I still think it is. I find it quite plain looking. Please don't get offended. It's an OPINION.
Sadly this is not something that had the effect the Malaysian had hoped. The Petronas Towers were well known and are still an internationally recognised icon. This didn't happen with Merdeka 118.
Coz Sean connery and Catherine zeta Jones used it for their movie while merdeka 118 does not hv a Hollywood movie to its name (yet)
Yet
Because nobody likes seeing or being proud of a physical representation of Malaysian corruption in the sky
Well its still like newborn baby.
My Malaysian friends didn't even have the M118 in mind... Sure they knew about it despite barely making any headlines at all but it's just something they put in the back of their minds and forget about it lol
Bcs nobody in Malaysia actually care about a new tower
Sure wow new building!!!! But that's it
The Indonesians FB pages admins can't stop thinking and talking about it. Everyday they try to make an issue out of it for no real reason.
0:19 I knew it, Brain Boy...
I just couldn't think of its name when you put me on the spot like that!
🤣
118 also sounds like "rich everyday" in the Cantonese dialect which is widely spoken by the ethnic Chinese Malaysians
Delay no more
So, lucky number for chinese yeah?
It's a cheaty tower if you ask me. Roof heights and even highest occupied floor heights are a much more accurate representation of a tower's height than an a mere architectural detail. Especially when if you took it off the tower would look especially the same... Tis no Empire State Building Spire, English!;-)
Blame the yanks. It's always been from the highest point. Pretty sure our Fact Boi had already done a vid on the OG skyscraper race.
and the 200 meter spire on burj khalifa? The highest tower should be shanghai tower instead.
Seen it and heard of it but not the details, thank you, these are videos j enjoy of your channel
burj khalifa have spire also but just like it part of useful building. also merdeka 118 having sewarage system not transport by trucks.thats plus. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 like it or not its already finish just appreciate it. now tower m in progress, maybe will exceed this one.crazy
Can we count it as the tallest structure with sewerage system🤣🤣
Damnnn having 2 Top-10 highest tower in the world in one place, that's savage 💯🔥
I just checked. There's only 1 in the top 10.
But in the top 20 there's 4; remember that there are TWO Petronas towers! 😁
I didn't recall the name but I did think "that one in Dubai" so close enough haha
"That one in Dubai" is called Burj Khalifa bro.
Kingdom tower has resumed construction
True
I'm a Malaysian, and it's hard to overlook the negative side of this project, but as an engineer myself, I always look at this project as an engineering marvel
I've heard of it, but then again I'm Malaysian and I'm living near Kuala Lumpur so... It's kinda hard to miss that tower.
Thanks for covering about our country. Sir, if it is okay, please be a bit more formal when covering for our Monarch & it is not accurate to quote him and relate to the disagreements of some Malaysians.
The concerns are valid and I would be considered amongst them, but it even the Malaysians that disagrees would take a photo of it and have some pride in it. Our monarch like the tower while it has its critics have become one of the reason for Malaysians to be united regardless.
Malaysia GDP per capita (PPP) is $37,000 in 2023. It is not that far off from countries like Germany, Japan and South Korea. In 10 years, it will be more than $50,000, very likely among the top 5 highest in Asia Pacific.
With current politics and minimum wage crisis? I can't see it happening
With current political crisis or whatever, it will still be achieved due to the fact the the business world has clearly distinguished itself from politics over the last decade.
To put things into perspective, it just means the country is doing reasonably well BUT the people aren't doing too well. It's a struggle to live well in KL JB or Penang with salaries that doesn't increase in tandem with the cost of living!
So it's cheap for tourists, not quite so for locals 😅
@@bukitkatilmpdoesnt matter for me even u change multiple times its also about the mentality of people. Mostly against development coz they scared foreigner investor took their land. Which not even their land to begin with its gov 😂 . Plus racism is scary…. Not only malay. Minority also racist 1 its all race are racist this what i see that only really an issue.
Estimated only. Should be less than that since 2023 Q4 GDP growth were underperformed.
its like pulling your hair up and saying the pointy tip is your actual height
Keep crying
Same goes to burj khalifa
Magnificent building and city!
Merdeka 118: So tall, it tickles clouds! But seriously, this Malaysian marvel is eco-friendly enough to make even Greta Thunberg smile. Rainwater harvesting? Check. Public transport access? Nailed it. Now if it could just dispense teh tarik on demand, we'd be golden. #Malaysia #SustainableGoals #Merdeka118
we don't take greta thunberg as a inspirational role model here but i get ur sarcasm
As a Malaysian, i wouldnt call merdeka tower a “Crown Jewel” that honor still belongs to petronas twin tower. When it was first build a lot of us hated it😂.
As long as every building can put a spire if they want then let them have there bragging rights.
i dont count the spires
@@multifaceteduser3405u dont count but the officials count it. So no matter ur opinion. Keep it to yourself. The world are not following ur wants.U are nobody. 😂😂
3rd world country like Malaysia couldn't lose their ego so they cheated, just like how corrupt their government is.
@@multifaceteduser3405 ur opinion doesn't count too, coz the one count is the council of tall buildings.
@@multifaceteduser3405Then the Shanghai Tower would be the tallest
As a Malaysian i feel proud to be a citizen of this beautiful land i call home but i must say the political side of Malaysia is a side that even malaysians either love or hate a lot
The complaints about this building can be broadly applied to a lot of super-tall buildings: whether funded by a government or private money, they are built to benefit the super-rich and ignore everyone else. It is deeply frustrating when your country or city has infrastructure problems, and your politicians spend the money on vanity projects instead (I can relate).
It's literally a towering motorola dynatac 8000x🙄🤣😂
As an ordinary Malaysian that follows your channel. Thanks for sharing the good and bad. We can only hope that it'll bring in good economic growth in due time 😅
M118, TRX, Battersea Power Station; these are already done. It's more beneficial to be positive and make the best use at this point.
🎉🎉🎉 Congratulations to Malaysia
Looks pretty cool except for the light show, also the spire looks a bit flimsy considering it's height
Guess what, tourists can go up there soon
Had heard of it. B1M covered it a year ago while it was still under construction.
3 skyscraper building 🏢🏫🏢 build so near , that so unique
Everything become expensive..can't imagine 10 years from now..strunggling to survive
I legitimately believe that skyscrapers should not be built unless the firms behind it can ensure greater than 90% lease occupancy within the first two years after completion. There are a lot of sparsely populated skyscrapers around the world despite there being housing crises basically everywhere.
KL is beautiful from the sky, but on the ground there are so many obstacles that make it quite a hectic place to navigate.
Why some of you jeolous about spires on Malaysian building.It's our pride.
it's not jealous and it's not our pride.
@@NurizatulNisait’s our pride lah bodoh
I think the American people just scare that China will take control of the world
Because it is something worth jealous about. I am very proud as a Malaysian.
They're just bunch of idiots!
Same tower from battlefield 4 most gamers should know this building even if you didn’t know it was real.
Mereka 118: the Buzz Aldrin of skyscrapers
Someone should build a 20 storey building and slap a Warsaw Radio Mast on top of it and be like, "There. Our building is taller!" :) Also, I dunno, Merdeka 118 kind of looks like a deformed walkie-talkie with that antenna er spire on top of it.
Spire and antenna is 2 different things. The spire is liveable and also had observation deck people can go up to. Thats why spire are counted as towers height while antenna dont. Sigh 😪
@@muhdafif2855 Sigh. Yes mud. It was a joke.🙄
When two cobs of(metal) corn are NOT enough so you get a huge stick:
It supposed to mimic the first prime minister of Malaysia raising his hand to
Proclaim Malaysia’s indipendence from the Brits. There is one famous picture of him raising his hand with his chest held high with pride. The similarities on the building is arguable but thats why it looks like that.
Vanity project is an understatement. You didnt think to name the bumi agents?
There is a reason why despite Singapore's world class infrastructure and public facilities we never had a skyscraper quite like the Merdeka, yes there is a good reason for that.
So, here I thought that Petronas towers was now the second highest. But now I see them in the background from Mederka.
I am definitely impressed,
We visited the site a month ago and was told it was opening 'next week'... I suspect that has been the standard answer for the last 6 months.
As a Malaysian living in the southern part of Johor state, our state's taxpayers contribute approximately 11 billion ringgit to the federal government annually. However, we only receive around 1 to 2 billion ringgit each year for the development of our Johor state. Instead, the majority of Malaysian taxpayers' money is focused on the capital city. My sentiment is just like, Are you fucking kidding me right now?
Still better than going straight into somebody's pocket
Its not using government funding. Its totally under PNB
Its actually mostly private funded
Please read a lot..PNB is not goverment fund..private fund..Nothing to do to your tax payer..PNB maked money..give low rate loan interest to goverment to pump project in Malaysia... including johor..So you to read .. fact...
RM1b to RM2b are big numbers and you can do so much with that amount! I heard when Johor joined the federation it was so poor and since then it has grown to where it is now because federal government helped managed and redistributed money from richer states to poor state like Johor so that it can develop its infrastructures like power grid and clean water supply which is vital for economic development. Despite having grow to where it is today, you still grumble and shown your greediness. That's not how it works: When you 're part of a federation you agreed to surrender your sovereignty thus part of your rights to certain things like immigration, education, laws etc. On another note, Merdeka 118 was financed partly by bonds and partly by investors like me. Mind you I'm no billionaire nor a milillionnaire but I have investment in their unit trust, Merdeka 118 is an investment which will house offices, malls, condos and hotel. All retained revenue (after paying up for the loan with interest) from rent and lease will go back to ME! So, basically I own a piece of that building. By the way, the Sultan of Johor is worth more than USD5b (and I mean US DOLLAR) so convert that to MYR it becomes RM24b.
9:55 to 10:55 me as Malaysian, so agree with every words you said here
A small nation with a small population with a even small number of people who are middle class and above, we have 175 malls within the klang valley and ridiculous amount of sky scrapers and condominiums. Not to mention a new one coming call Tradewind Square that is going to be 750+m tall.
Malaysia is not a small nation, Malaysia is actually moderate in size comparable to Vietnam or japan. Our population is not small either just nice not overpopulated like vietnam. But I agree with too many malls and condominiums.
You forgot to include Borneo's Sabah and Sarawak, and also you forgot to include the B40 which are actually the majority
Does that mean if I put a 2231 ft. antenna on my doghouse it will be rated the tallest building in the world?
Yes. But only if it's 'permanent'.
A spire will do! An antenna is no guarantee
unfortunately no. to be classed as a building, at least 50% of the total hight has to be usable floor space. else it'll be classed as a tower, not a building
You've opened a can of worms now
Burj khalifa with more than 250 meters high antenna LOL
Can agree its very beautiful
It looks very cool after a rainy day
The money put into this building could have done far more to help the local population with its various quality of living issues.
Well...then u should speak to the private est that built the building, it's coming from government fund
@@twillightrunnerthat company is a GLC. They are managing your ASB. Don't be fool to think that there is no political decision involved in building this tower.
@@twillightrunnerAnd where do you think those govt funds come from?
@@stmpo5595 thats what they said about the Petronas twin tower over 30 years ago....the same exact words...
@@twillightrunner the economy situation 30 years ago is different from present day
Merdeka 118 might be taller, but the Petronas Twin Towers will always be higher in our hearts.
vanity should invest on reduce TOL fee, public transport and improve health care..
In 2022, a viral began circulating online when a group of American individuals trespassed towards the top Merdeka 118, prompting criticism of the lack of security measures at the site.
They are not americans but russians
PNB still need to diversify their investment more though a , mix used project always a lucarative return in southeast asia especially if it got a shopping mall. They also the biggest investor of battersea project in London almost the same amount of investment .why no noise about that.
Funny how Merdeka 118 is meant to resemble a raised hand....my friends and i just call it "da ge da" (old cellular phone) bcoz it literally looks like one
It looks like a disposable vape pen.
Actually we call it the motorola dynatac 8000x here.
I feel like it looks like a big ol walkie talkie. Haha.
It looks like a middle finger to us especially when it's peak hour stuck in traffic jammed.
@@hammerfall6666 you know, I can see that. Especially if money or kick backs on taxes that could have been used for the area were not collected and then you get to suffer bad roads. Or, it’s just good for the angry traffic jam soul to be able to throw your anger at it rather then your shoe at the driver who may have just cut you off :)
Not sure how you could have gotten the public opening dates so wrong ! After all some of your points were rather spot on valid - ie. calling a spade , a spade, when it comes to one of the priciest expenditure decision by government of the day, and the need for public access (transparency) to the on board tabling of full feasibility study and ROI justification considering opportunity costs of the multi billion project prior to decision to execute the said colossal project.
Target Opening schedule:
“Merdeka 118 Tower which is 678.9 meters high is the tallest tower in Southeast Asia and the second tallest globally among its key features include the Masjid Al-Sultan Abdullah that is now open to the public, Merdeka Boulevard at 118 Park - Completion in Q2 2024, Stadium Merdeka - Opens in Q2 2024, Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur - Opens in Q3 2024, The View at 118 Observation Deck - Opens in Q4 2024 and 118 Mall - Opens in Q3 2025” From Business Today.
The nickname of that tower is “The Handphone Building”
Walkie talkie
only the jealousy of indonesian people saying it😅😅😅
Without the huge spire on Medeka 118, the Shanghai Tower would still be second tallest in the world.
Malaysian here. I don't care much for it but my property nearby has gone up in value by a nice amount so thanks.
Why some malaysian upset is because the idea came from Daddy Kleptocat Jibbyfields. For me, after Najibby sentenced to prison, the project progress much faster and smoother, i bet those whom got the job are afraid to do corupption as the big klepto bos already in jail.
I've been to both this tower and Tokyo Skytree with 2 of my friends and it was a unanymous agreement that this building does not seem taller at all.
😂😂😂skry scrapers?! ❤10:00
Merdeka owned by Malaysian owned Sovereign Fund entity The PNB. It is an investment corporation. Bettersea Power Station is owned by the corporation. Instead spending money outside the country, it is better for them spending billion usd here. And also Why do they need to spend their money for education and healthcare? Malaysian has its own ministry for education and healthcare to take all of these.
Buildings with spires shouldn’t have them counting toward their ultimate height, should be roof height
You are right loads of buildings have spires or antenna towers and are counted but for sure it should only cover the livable space.
Very true.......
They call it 'Vanity Height' ... have the same thing down in Australia. The tallest building (Q1) has a 20 storey spike on it. The 'second' tallest building actually has 22 more usable floors than Q1. When put side by side, it looks odd that Q1 is 'technically' taller ...
You want men to build big things without a phallic enhancement? Just got back from the meeting, and having discussed it at great length we’ve arrived at an answer. No.
Could do it with a vaginal enhancement but it would whistle.@@thelyle1399
I live in Malaysia and I feel proud of it
Correction..Merdeka 118 is not funded by the government..but it was privately funded by a fund management group of PNB...which will provide with a long terms profitable dividends to its ordinary Malaysian shareholders..